Australia has long faced a grim reality. Lung cancer remains the deadliest cancer, claiming more lives than any other.
But a new, homegrown technological marvel is offering hope. It’s not just a small step forward, but a giant leap for early detection and survival.
Meet ‘ION’, a state-of-the-art robotic device built in Brisbane. It’s the only one of its kind in the country, and it’s already changing the way doctors diagnose lung cancer. It is giving patients a fighting chance at life.
A personal story: Ruanda’s journey
For 61-year-old Ruanda, a Brisbane grandmother with a family history of cancer, the road to diagnosis was anything but straightforward.
Four years ago, she discovered a nodule on her lung. Her specialist ordered two standard bronchoscopies, but both failed to collect enough tissue for a clear diagnosis.
‘I was told to watch and wait,’ Ruanda recalls. ‘But when it comes to cancer, early detection is key.’
Unfortunately, her nodule doubled in size before doctors could confirm what they were dealing with.
It wasn’t until Ruanda was referred to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) that things changed.
There, a groundbreaking robot—ION—was able to reach the suspicious spot in her lung and collect a sufficient sample.
The result: a diagnosis of non-smoking related lung cancer, caught at stage one.
A game changer in lung cancer detection
Dr David Fielding, a thoracic physician at RBWH, is unequivocal: ‘It’s very much a game changer.’
The ION robot allows doctors to navigate the intricate maze of the lungs with unprecedented precision. It reaches tiny, hard-to-access nodules that traditional methods often miss.
The technology works by first taking a regular CAT scan. Then, sophisticated software maps out a virtual pathway through the patient’s lungs. This guides the robotic bronchoscope directly to the biopsy site.
It’s a bit like using GPS to find a hidden treasure—except the treasure is a potentially life-saving diagnosis.
Dr Farzad Bashirzadeh, director of Interventional Bronchology at RBWH, is optimistic about the impact. ‘We hope to increase the survival rate up to 60 or 70 per cent.’
Twice as accurate, far less risk
So far, more than 170 patients have benefited from ION at RBWH.
The results are impressive. The robot is twice as accurate as previous biopsy methods. It is also much safer.
‘In the past, we’d use a handheld bronchoscope,’ Dr Fielding explains. ‘But with the robot, you drive it with a trackball—like a video game—and it stays perfectly still.’
This stability means fewer mistakes and a much lower risk of complications. One of the most serious risks with traditional lung biopsies is pneumothorax—a collapsed lung. This occurs in about 25 per cent of cases.
With ION, that risk drops to less than one per cent. For patients, that is a huge relief.
Why early detection matters
Lung cancer is notorious for being caught late, often after it has already spread. That is why early detection is so crucial.
When found at stage one, as in Ruanda’s case, the chances of successful treatment and long-term survival skyrocket.
But until now, getting a definitive diagnosis from small, deep-seated lung nodules has been a major challenge.
ION is changing that. It makes it possible to catch cancer earlier and intervene sooner.
For Ruanda, the technology has been nothing short of life-saving. ‘This is definitely going to help people get the answer at the right time,’ she says, looking forward to surgery with hope.
Have your say
What are your thoughts on the use of robotics and artificial intelligence in healthcare? Do you think more investment should go into these kinds of technologies?
We would love to hear your stories and opinions. Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Also read: Australia’s lung cancer screening program has started — should eligibility be expanded?
That photo of a robot hand is completely inaccurate in the context of the story.
It’s probably what is used for manual prostate checks. 😂
I think this idea was used in a “Science fiction” film many years ago. So much science fiction is now becoming a reality. Would like to be around in 50 years time to see the progress . At least thank goodness we have this now .