Canadian health agency uses 3D technology to better detect lung cancer

A three dimensional navigation system is starting to help specialists to better diagnose and take care of lung cancer patients in the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC), according to a local health agency. The BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, said earlier this week that the equipment is the first of its kind to be used in Canada and is newly-installed at the agency's Vancouver Center. "This technology acts as a GPS, providing clear turn-by-turn guidance through the patient's lung, leading us directly to the tumor," said Dr. Stephen Lam from the BC Cancer Agency. "This new system will improve the accuracy of bronchoscopy procedures from 30 to 80 percent for small lesions in the lung that are traditionally very difficult to biopsy." According to the agency, the technology converts two-dimensional images from a Computerized Tomography (CT scan) into three-dimensional graphics that guide the respirologist through a bronchoscopy procedure, directly to the suspect tumor. The mapping system is particularly beneficial in procedures where the tumor is less than two centimeters and located in the periphery of the lung, it said. Previously, oncologists would refer to a two-dimensional image highlighting the tumor's location from a patient's CT scan. With the new three-dimensional images, care providers will also be better equipped to plan for radiation therapy and surgical procedures with specific markers indicating the cancer's location, it said.