AHN welcomes ‘Thoracic Oncology Mobile Experience’ to Cranberry
CRANBERRY TWP — A unique way to bring awareness to new devices and the importance of proactive lung cancer screening was on full display at the Pittsburgh Marriott North Hotel on Wednesday afternoon.
A 56-foot-long 18-wheeler known as the “Thoracic Mobile Oncology Experience” contains revolutionary robotics and other advanced tools developed by biotechnology company Intuitive and has been traveling across the country since the beginning of the year.
The semitrailer made its way into Pittsburgh in partnership with the Allegheny Health Network Pulmonary Specialists.
The new bronchoscopy technology known as ‘Ion’ makes it easier for physicians to diagnose lung cancer in its infancy, which is the optimal time for treatment.
The technology has been in use at AHN’s Allegheny General Hospital since 2020 and also is featured at the AHN Wexford Hospital and AHN Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie.
Lung cancer has become the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. According to the American Cancer Society, there have been roughly 234,580 new cases and about 125,070 deaths in the United States alone in 2024.
“We know that the earlier that we can detect it and the earlier we can diagnose it, the more lives that it can save,” said Dr. Sohini Ghosh, an AHN interventional pulmonologist, who has already grown accustomed to using the equipment. “This type of technology allows us to find spots that are concerning and actually get to that spot and sample it to hopefully diagnose lung cancer earlier so they can be treated earlier.”
Thanks to Ghosh, two of her partners and a few thoracic surgeons, Allegheny Health Network became a leader in using the technology, and it already has paid dividends with nearly 1,000 diagnosed cases.
She said an added benefit of the robotics is that it makes any procedure less invasive and helps both patients and physicians feel more positive about the process.
“I think it helps not only patients, but also a lot of providers,” Ghosh said. “This is a very new technology, and, in my opinion, is the best one out of all the different types of bronchoscopies that are out there. Being able to go and tell people that this exists and that we can do this minimally invasively is huge, especially just to educate all of the providers. This allows us to take pictures and very clearly explains what’s going on.”
Normally, Intuitive brings physicians to its headquarters in Georgia or California to train them with the new technology. Since COVID-19 restricted regular travel schedules, the idea for the truck was born, and it has largely proved to be a success.
“This (18-wheeler) was initially a way to be able to bring our technology to physicians and train them remotely,” said longtime Intuitive sales director Ryan Vickers. “Obviously, now we can travel and take people to our labs. We were searching for ways on how to utilize a resource like this. The best way to do it right now is just to take it to markets and help educate communities on lung cancer awareness and getting screened.”
There are now roughly 700 ‘Ion’ devices in hospitals across the country. AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville will soon be the fourth hospital in Western Pennsylvania to have access to the new cutting-edge technology that has already been proven to save lives.
The American Cancer Society recommends yearly screenings for lung cancer for people 50 to 80 years old who currently smoke or used to smoke.
