Hospital unveils new cancer technology

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - St. Francis Hospital has invested in a new technology to help doctors find, and more precisely diagnose lung cancers. It's called Super Dimension IN Reach, or Super D for short.

It's a software and magnetic sensor system that can guide small catheters equipped with metal tips to lesions, where cancer is suspected, but difficult to reach.

Woody Vandivier is a retired carpenter who suddenly passed blood last year.  Since he is a former smoker, his doctor ordered a CAT scan of his lungs. 

Two spots showed up in the images.

Normally, Dr. Faisal Khan, Vandivier's pulmonologist, would perform an external CAT scan guided biopsy.  But the risk of pneumothorax, or collapsed lung,  multiplies when there's more than one spot to study.

The Super D software, which was developed in Israel, uses a bronchoscope to enter the lungs and then a much smaller catheter to weave its way, using magnetic markers, to the questionable lesions. 

At that point small pincers retrieve a sample of tissue for further study.

Mr. Vandivier had two different cancers: Squamous cell and adenocarcinoma. 

Each was caught early, and surgically removed with no chemotherapy needed.  He's been declared cancer free.

Dr. Khan has used Super D in 30 of his patients, and feels it gives him a more precise way of diagnosing lung cancers.

"It gives you that edge or advantage to diagnose cancer in the earlier stage," says Dr, Khan.