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INTEGRIS Health Medical Group Pulmonary South now offers Ion robotic lung bronchoscopy, a minimally invasive procedure that allows doctors to biopsy lung nodules with greater precision. This puts INTEGRIS Health at the forefront of using this cutting-edge technology that places lifesaving screening and detection methods in the hands of our providers.

That includes Nathaniel Moulton, M.D., a board-certified interventional pulmonologist who is using this technology at INTEGRIS Health to help prevent Oklahomans from suffering from late-stage lung cancer.

“This has changed the game when it comes to detecting lung cancer,” Moulton says. “We are able to go after smaller and smaller nodules and detect cancer in areas we previously couldn’t. It allows us to biopsy in more advanced ways and detect cancer in lung nodules which are just millimeters in size so we can perform curative treatments for patients.”

In as little as 100 days, Moulton adds, a cancerous nodule can potentially double in size – leading to lower chances of survivability and the cancer being detected at a later stage. “Lung cancer is the deadliest form of cancer, but we can change that, thanks to the technology we’re using today.”

With more and more patients being diagnosed with this technology, at scale, INTEGRIS Health can make a transformative impact on lung cancer in Oklahoma.

Why it matters

• Lung cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, in large part because screening rates are very low. Only nine percent of Oklahomans who are eligible get screened, which means that most people are diagnosed with late stages of disease.
• The Ion platform employed by INTEGRIS Health doctors like Moulton is empowering the team to detect cancer earlier than ever before – meaning patients are found to have cancer in stage one without presenting with symptoms. When cancer is found early, doctors have more curative options available in treating patients.
• The technology is minimally invasive and allows doctors to find pea-sized nodules that were previously undetectable, as well as reaching into areas of the lung that were inaccessible with conventional bronchoscopy methods.
• The American Lung Association ranks Oklahoma near the bottom nationally for lung cancer mortality. More people in the U.S. die from lung cancer than any other type of cancer.

Equipment like the Ion robotic lung biopsy system is empowering INTEGRIS Health doctors to provide earlier detection, screening and treatment for lung cancer to save lives. For patient referrals and more information on being screened for lung cancer, call 405-644-5040.