Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in America. In fact, it kills more people than breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined. Approximately 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer each year.

What’s more, lung disease is also a top cause of death in the U.S., and costs our nation nearly $50 billion per year, including nearly $4 billion due to absenteeism at work. 

A Team of Experts

The Midwest Institute for Lung at Silver Cross Hospital’s multidisciplinary approach to treating lung cancer means every patient with lung cancer benefits from a team of specialists dedicated to evaluating known or suspected lung tumors in a timely and coordinated manner. This includes thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, radiologists, pathologists and oncologists.

They meet weekly to review each case, design a treatment plan and expedite every aspect of care.

The Latest Technology

Finding and treating lung cancer early, when it’s most receptive to treatment, is critical.

That’s why Silver Cross invested in a powerful tool called ION by Intuitive (which also produces the da Vinci robot, well-known for many years at Silver Cross).

The robotic-assisted ION bronchoscopy platform uses an ultra-thin, highly maneuverable robotic catheter to reach parts of the lung not possible through a standard biopsy.

Since the game-changing Ion enables physicians to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung, it addresses a challenging aspect of lung biopsy. It may also help patients avoid subsequent biopsies by helping enable a diagnosis through the samples obtained.

How the Ion Robot-Assisted Bronchoscope Works

During the robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, the doctor uses a controller with a heads-up display to navigate the camera-equipped catheter along a pre-planned path through the lung airways. 

With its 3.5-milimeter size and ability to articulate 180 degrees in any direction, the Ion is capable of reaching all 18 segments of the lung. Once the targeted area is reached, a flexible needle is used to biopsy the suspect tissue. 

The advanced features of the Ion robotic navigation system offer an unprecedented level of precision when performing bronchoscopies for lung nodule biopsy. 

Meet Amy Ittersagen, RN Lung Cancer Nurse Navigator

Amy NorwichAmy has spent her entire healthcare career focused on cancer, first as a radiation therapist for more than a decade and then pursuing a career in nursing. As part of the Silver Cross Cancer Care Team, she will help create a seamless experience for
lung cancer patients and providers, ensuring a timely experience for all – from early screening through treatment.

For more information about
Low Dose Lung CT Scans, please call 
Amy Ittersagen at 815-300-LUNG (5864).

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Physicians on Silver Cross Hospital’s Medical Staff have expertise in their areas of practice to meet the needs of patients seeking their care. These physicians are independent practitioners on the Medical Staff and are not the agents or employees of Silver Cross Hospital. They treat patients based upon their independent medical judgment and they bill patients separately for their services.