Faster answers, earlier treatment: How NKC Health is changing lung cancer screening

Brittany Little, DO

NKC Health is winning the fight to spread the word about lung cancer screening.

With more than 250 Ion robotic bronchoscopy scans in the last 18 months, the health system boasts one of the busier lung nodule programs on the Missouri side of the metro area.

“Everybody knows about breast cancer screening and colon cancer screening,” said Brittany Little, DO, a pulmonologist with NKC Health Lung Care. “Coming in for a low dose CT scan is easier than other cancer screening tests.”

Ion technology helps with a lung biopsy, if needed. It creates a 3D image of the lungs using the patient’s CT scan. The system then maps a path to suspicious tissue, which the physician follows with a handheld controller to collect a biopsy sample.

“My grandpa died of lung cancer,” Dr. Little said. “He was diagnosed at a late stage and died within months. Now, because of this technology, we can tell patients that a lung cancer diagnosis can be caught earlier and treated successfully.”

The pulmonology team prides itself on its quick response. The department follows the American Cancer Society’s screening guidelines. Current or former smokers between the ages of 50 and 80 are eligible and should ask about a low-dose CT scan. If that scan finds something questionable and they need a biopsy, they can be evaluated for an Ion procedure. The goal is to move from a suspicious scan to the patient being in treatment within one month.

J.B. Ladesich, MD

According to J.B. Ladesich, MD, a pulmonary medicine physician with NKC Health Lung Care, the philosophy behind this urgency is to reduce anxiety.

“If this was you or your family member,” Dr. Ladesich said, “getting an answer as quickly as possible would be paramount.”

Dr. Little echoes this sentiment.

“Every day that goes by, cancer has a chance to spread,” she said. “The sooner we can get patients in and get a diagnosis, the sooner we can get them to treatment and prevent growth.”