Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, and Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc), a leading Dutch academic research and teaching hospital (Nijmegen, the Netherlands), have announced the positive results of a clinical study conducted by Radboudumc aimed at setting a new standard of safety and accuracy in the diagnosis of small peripheral lung lesions. The study outcomes represent a promising milestone in the global innovation effort to set a new clinical standard for detecting lung cancer at an early stage, potentially leading to improved prognoses for patients.
Radboudumc’s observational study reported the diagnostic accuracy and procedural radiation dose for patients undergoing an endobronchial lung biopsy supported by Philips Lung Suite a solution that uses 3D imaging with augmented fluoroscopy to support high precision diagnosis and minimally-invasive therapy in one room. Diagnostic accuracy of 90% was reported while reducing the average total effective radiation dose per procedure by more than half from 47.5 Gy·cm2 (effective dose: 14.3 mSv) to 25.4 Gy·cm2 (effective dose: 5.8 mSv). The median long-axis diameter of the 248 lesions navigated to during the study was 13 mm (range 5 - 65 mm). The results of the study were published in the October 2021 issue of the Journal of Bronchology & Interventional Pulmonology: Volume 28 - Issue 4 [1].
“The airways and lungs are very challenging places to biopsy. We need good navigation to make sure we reach the target location,” said Dr. Erik van der Heijden, Pulmonologist and Associate Professor of Interventional Pulmonary Diseases at Radboudumc, who led the study. “Philips’ 3D imaging solution allows us to create real-time 3D visualizations enabling us to follow the correct path from different angles to where we need to be, which is particularly useful for very small abnormalities. Our study confirmed that it increases the accuracy and safety of the biopsy procedure, improving results for patients. Philips’ technology also offers the promising outlook that we could not only diagnose but also immediately treat these early-stage patients using novel procedures such as tumor ablation.”
Lung cancer - the leading cause of cancer death
Lung cancer kills around 1.7 million people a year worldwide. That makes it the leading cause of cancer death globally [2], accounting for greater loss of life than breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined. While early diagnosis and treatment are critical to better outcomes and quality of life, the majority of lung cancers are currently diagnosed at a late stage, with minimal chance of a surgical cure.
