New Technology for Early Detection of Lung Cancer -- Now at The Medical City

The Medical City (TMC) is the first and currently, the only hospital in the country to offer Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS), a state of the art minimally invasive procedure used in the diagnosis of lung cancer, infections, and other inflammatory diseases in the chest.

EBUS, TMC’s latest technology acquisition, assists patients and doctors by shortening the time from diagnosis to treatment. EBUS is a procedure that incorporates the technology of ultrasound in bronchoscopy. By means of a small video device, it allows bronchoscopists to view lung abnormalities through and beyond the surface of the airways for real-time image guidance during procedures, hence, higher degree of diagnostic accuracy and safety is possible.

With real-time imaging and ultrasound guidance, doctors can map, evaluate, and safely biopsy tumors and lymph nodes. This procedure is called EBUS-transbronchial needle aspiration or EBUS-TBNA which results in accurate diagnosis and staging of the lung cancer and detection of other causes of pulmonary mass such as tuberculosis, sarcoidosis and lymphoma.

EBUS can also be used to biopsy small pulmonary nodules in the lung through a guide-sheath, a procedure called EBUS-GS. This provides early diagnosis of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide in both men and women, with more than one million deaths annually. Dr. Liza Garcia, head of The Medical City Section of Pulmonary Medicine, says most cases are detected during the advanced stages when the patients are already symptomatic and chances of survival are very low.

Thus, in line with the goal of increasing survival and cure rate, The Medical City Center for Cancer Care and Research in cooperation with other clinical departments of TMC recently launched a comprehensive program for screening, early diagnosis, and staging of lung cancer, even before symptoms appear on a patient.
The Lung Cancer Program aims to detect the disease early in high risk individuals and to provide optimal options for management of both early and advanced stages.

“With EBUS as an additional diagnostic option for high risk patients, we are expecting to increase detection rates of early stage lung cancer, which may be salvageable by surgery and has good prognosis. In addition, EBUS can aid in the diagnosis of benign diseases that need specific pathologic confirmation,” says Dr. Christine Chavez, pulmonologist and head of the Lung Unit of TMC Center for Cancer Care and Research.

Dr. Chavez is an authority in EBUS. She trained for two years as an advanced clinical fellow at the National Cancer Center of Japan, where she had hands-on experience on many cases and published studies, honing her to be a competent EBUS-bronchoscopist. In fact, she was a significant part of the team that introduced EBUS to the Philippines in 2013 during an educational seminar for young doctors, during which a few actual cases were performed.

Currently, aside from Dr. Chavez, there are very few Filipino doctors who were internationally exposed to EBUS. Dr. Hans Ramos had his Interventional Pulmonology training at National Cancer Center, Japan. Dr. Emily Aventura and Dr. Ronald Antonio Reodica are US-trained specialists. Drs. Ramos, Aventura, and Reodica, like Dr. Chavez, are from TMC Section of Pulmonary Medicine.

“Thus, we are happy and excited to say that TMC's healthcare team is now ready to establish and offer EBUS, the only one in the country, with the ultimate goal of decreasing morbidity and mortality in lung cancer patients,” says Dr. Chavez. (end)

For more information about EBUS, please call The Medical City Center for Cancer Care and Research at 988-1000 or 988-7000 ext. 6214.