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Pinpointing Cancer Earlier CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
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THE iLOGIC INREACH SYSTEM AT WORK On a recent afternoon in a Hospital operating room, Dr. Maley
undergo surgical biopsy, a highly invasive procedure in which
used the iLogic system to obtain a sample from a lymph node in
an incision is made in the chest cavity.
the right lung of 63-year-old Donald Drew of Bridgeville.
Now, physicians at St. Clair Hospital have another option
Just prior to being put to sleep for the procedure, Donald
to help them reach so-called “distal” lung lesions, as well as
explains to an observer that he was diagnosed with Large B-Cell
enlarged lymph nodes that might be harboring lymphoma, a
Lymphoma, a cancer in the lymphatic system of his neck, a little
cancer of the lymphatic system, a part of the body’s built-in
over two years ago.
defense system that, ironically, is designed to help fight diseases.
t h e
Donald says he was in remission for about 15 months when
The iLogic Inreach system by Minneapolis-based superDimension provides access to lung lesions or lymph nodes with GPS (Global Positioning Satellite)-like electronic navigation. In essence, it works by effectively extending the reach of a conventional bronchoscope through the use of steerable catheters which are guided by a 3D map of the lungs shown on a high definition screen. “I think this is the best technology that we have had to date to get a tissue diagnosis of these hard to reach spots,” says Richard H. Maley, M.D., a board-certified thoracic surgeon at St. Clair
“
I think this is the best technology that we have had to date to get
a tissue diagnosis of these hard to reach spots. As far as diagnosing,
–Richard H. Maley, M.D., Certified Thoracic Surgeon, St. Clair Hospital
Hospital. “As far as diagnosing, this is state-of-the-art,” he says, noting that the system provides an answer approximately 80 percent of the time.
”
this is state-of-the-art.
a follow-up exam revealed a cancerous nodule on his right lung and an enlarged lymph node in the center of his chest. A biopsy of the lung nodule showed lung cancer, not lymphoma. Perhaps, Donald’s oncologist wondered at the time, the lung cancer had spread to the lymph node. But while three chemotherapy treatments for the lung cancer helped shrink the tumor, it had no affect on the enlarged lymph node. In fact, it grew larger. As Donald is prepped for the procedure in the operating room, Dr. Maley explains that he needs to access the lymph node to determine if Donald’s lymphoma, once confined to his neck, was now also in his chest, or if the lymph node just contained drug
The iLogic Inreach system enables doctors to access hard-to-reach nodules or lymph nodes.
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resistant lung cancer. Lymph nodes in the chest, though, are not directly accessible via the windpipe, explains Dr. Maley. “So we’re going to use the