NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Ascension St. Thomas is expanding the way they treat and care for lung cancer patients.
It comes at a time when lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the state.
Data shows Tennessee has a rate of 70 new lung cancer cases per 100,000 people, higher than the national rate of 54.6.
In 2020, Ascension St. Thomas got a state of the art, robotic assisted device that advanced the possibilities for minimally invasive lung cancer care.
It has allowed for more precise biopsies and has meant that doctors can identify possibly cancerous tumors earlier than ever before.
On top of that, the diagnosis of the cancer and removal can take place at the same time, a critical advancement officials said for care.
Those services were first only offered at the West Nashville location, but now they’re expanding to the Midtown and Rutherford campuses.
They’ll get the devices later this month to be able to serve more patients.
September 11, 2001 is a day most associate with terror and tragedy. Austin Pollack shares a story from that day about hope and persistence: the effort to save a little girl’s life – with an organ donation. The problem? The young patient was in Houston, and her life-saving liver here in Nashville. With the grounding of all civilian aircraft, how could it be done? “Nobody ever said this isn’t possible.”
- Rhori Johnston
