WCM-Q Grand Rounds discusses robotics use in early lung cancer diagnosis

The latest instalment of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar’s Grand Rounds series addressed the role of lung cancer screening and robotic bronchoscopy in the early diagnosis of the disease.

The presentation, delivered virtually by Dr. Muhammad Sajawal Ali, attending interventional pulmonologist and assistant professor at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, began by defining the indications for, and barriers to, lung cancer screening in high-risk patients, before discussing the fundamental determinants of lung cancer outcomes. Dr. Ali then analyzed how innovations such as robotic bronchoscopy can be leveraged to improve lung cancer outcomes.

Robotic bronchoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure in which a pulmonologist uses a controller to navigate a thin, flexible robotic catheter deep into the lungs to biopsy small or hard-to-reach nodules. Precise real-time tracking allows access to peripheral lung areas beyond the reach of traditional scopes. The procedure is performed under general anesthetic and typically takes 30–60 minutes. Initial lung cancer screening uses a low-dose CT scan to identify abnormal spots that may require further investigation. 

Dr. Ali explained that most patients with lung cancer are asymptomatic in the early stages and that screening rates among high-risk patients remain very low, at around 4 percent. He proposed a three-pronged strategy to improve outcomes: raising awareness among high-risk patients; expanding the use of innovative biopsy technologies, including robotic bronchoscopy, to safely sample lung nodules; and establishing more efficient pathways from screening to diagnosis and treatment.

He also noted that lung cancer screening had been shown to improve early diagnosis and reduce mortality, citing a landmark study in which annual low-dose CT screening reduced lung cancer mortality by 20 percent among high-risk patients. He added that screening approximately 320 people for lung cancer could save one life, while it was necessary to conduct approximately 1,250 colonoscopies for colorectal cancer to save one life, and 746 breast cancer screenings to save one life, highlighting the potential benefits of targeted lung cancer screening.

WCM-Q’s Grand Rounds Live Webinar Series is delivered by the college’s Division of Continuing Professional Development and is aimed at physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, allied health professionals, students, researchers and educators.

The webinar, titled “Lung Cancer Screening and the Role of Robotic Bronchoscopy in the Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer,” was accredited locally by the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Healthcare Professions–Accreditation Section (DHP-AS) and internationally by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).