A new bronchoscopy-assisting robot is helping to catch lung cancer in earlier stages at MemorialCare hospital’s cancer institute.
The nonprofit health system, one of the largest in Orange County, began using the Galaxy System from Noah Medical at Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills.
“The best way to serve our community is to diagnose cancer earlier so that we can cure it,” Vice President of Clinical Integration Elizabeth “Liz” Acord told the Business Journal.
Acord oversees MemorialCare’s cancer program and said that the new technology’s integrated imaging will make it easier to access hard-to-reach lesions for physicians.
MemorialCare is one of just four hospitals in California using the Galaxy System, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last March. MemorialCare has one machine at its Saddleback location and intends to add more throughout its lung cancer programs systemwide, Acord said.
MemorialCare’s headquarters Orange Coast Medical Center is located in Fountain Valley; together, these two OC MemorialCare facilities reported $878 million in revenue for the year ended Sept. 30.
Integrated Imaging
Galaxy System features 3D mammography technology that constructs real-time images to locate small masses in the lungs.
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. A bronchoscopy lets doctors view the inside of a patient’s respiratory system and diagnose any potential lung diseases using a thin tube that’s inserted through the nose or mouth.
A majority of cancerous legions are located in the outer third lung, making it harder for doctors to access, according to Noah Medical.
With Galaxy System, a robotic arm guides the catheter down to the patient’s lung for more precise movements as compared to a physician. It’s said to be able to biopsy nodules smaller than two centimeters.
Prior to the equipment, Acord said physicians would have to wait for the tumor to grow larger until it could be biopsied with navigational bronchoscopy or surgically.
“Now, we can biopsy those lesions, so patients don’t have to wait to find out whether or not they have cancer,” Acord said.
Women’s Pavilion
The first phase of MemorialCare Saddleback’s Women’s Health Pavilion opened to visitors last year. MemorialCare broke ground on the three-story, 40,000-square-foot facility in September 2022.
A breast center located on the first floor was named after a $2.5 million gift from sisters Taylor and Sarah Nederlander, who both grew up in Laguna Beach, through the Harry J. Nederlander Foundation.
The Sarah & Taylor Nederlander Breast Center houses specialists in breast radiology, breast oncology and breast reconstructive surgery under one roof, making it the only integrated breast cancer center in Orange County, officials said.
Additional offices for obstetrics and gynecology, a cancer care boutique and gynecologic oncology are expected to be added to the Women’s Health Pavilion by the end of this year once it’s fully completed.
