U.S. hospitals are increasingly embracing the use of a novel imaging technology known as the superDimension(R)/Bronchus System (SDBS) which enables diagnosis of lung cancer at an earlier stage than the conventional technique.

"While flexible bronchoscopy is the preferred method for diagnosing lung cancer, most lesions are located in the peripheral areas of the lung which the standard bronchoscope can't reach," Doron Besser, MD, VP Medical Affairs of superDimension, Ltd. In Herzliya, Israel, said. "If a bronchoscopy is non-diagnostic, more invasive interventions such as transthoracic needle aspiration, mediastinoscopy or sometimes thoracotomy are required in order to establish a diagnosis. Such interventions may be associated with significant risks or even be unnecessary as the lesion may still be benign."

The SDBS machine allows physicians to make a definitive diagnosis of suspicious lesions in the peripheral areas of the lung which are difficult to sample by conventional bronchoscopy, therefore setting the stage for earlier treatment and a better prognosis.

"Lung cancer has a notoriously dismal prognosis," he noted. "An early diagnosis may boost the patient's likelihood of survival as about 15 percent of patients diagnosed at stages III or IV are alive at five years versus about 70 percent diagnosed at a an earlier stage."

The novel imaging system can navigate can be uniquely steered and navigated anywhere in the lungs in real-time and on a three-dimensional roadmap which provides a higher success rates and broadens the applicability of standard diagnostic bronchoscopy, Dr. Besser said.

The SDBS procedure is typically performed in the bronchoscopy suite, and results are usually available within two hours. Notably, clinical studies have demonstrated an 80% success rate in diagnosing lung lesions and a 95% success rate in also performing staging.

The FDA-approved technology is already in use at the Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, and regional hospitals such as Columbus Regional Hospital.

SDBS is manufactured by superDimension Ltd., which has its world headquarters in Herzliya, Israel and its U.S. headquarters in Minneapolis. Lung cancer is the main cause of cancer mortality in the US. and is responsible for more deaths annually breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. According to the American Cancer Society, the disease accounted for more than 163, 000 deaths in the U.S. last year.

SDBS can also be used for treating lung cancer, and initial clinical trials using internal radiation methodologies have shown promising results.

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