Improving lung cancer detection

Issue: BCMJ, vol. 55, No. 2, March 2013, Pages 76-77 News

Lung cancer specialists at the BC Cancer Agency now have access to a three-dimensional navigation system that can enhance diagnosis, staging, and care for lung cancer patients in BC.

The equipment, funded by the BC Cancer Foundation, is the first of its kind to be used in Canada. It has been installed at the BC Cancer Agency’s Vancouver Centre. 

The technology converts two-dimensional images from a CT scan into three-dimensional graphics that guide the respirologist through a bronchoscopy procedure directly to the suspect tumor, thus improving the accuracy of bronchoscopy procedures from 30% to 80% for small lesions in the lung that are traditionally difficult to biopsy. The mapping system is particularly beneficial in procedures where the tumor is less than 2 cm and located in the periphery of the lung. 

The new three-dimensional images will better enable care providers to plan for radiation therapy and surgical procedures by providing specific markers indicating the location of the cancer. BC Cancer Foundation donors provided $600000 to acquire the new LungPoint system in addition to other state-of-the-art equipment in the Vancouver Centre’s newly renovated Endoscopy Suite.

. Improving lung cancer detection. BCMJ, Vol. 55, No. 2, March, 2013, Page(s) 76-77 - News.


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Halpern SD, Ubel PA, Caplan AL, Marion DW, Palmer AM, Schiding JK, et al. Solid-organ transplantation in HIV-infected patients. N Engl J Med. 2002;347:284-7.

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