Hawaii just formally launched a state-of-the-art facility for early lung cancer diagnosis and surgical intervention.
The Queen’s Health Systems of Honolulu, comprised of four hospitals and multiple facilities, claim that the new Advanced Lung Institute will be capable of reducing surgery wait times from two months to merely four hours.
“The institute is a game-changer for early detection and treatment for our community and offers hope for a cure,” Dr. Taryne Amai said in the announcement. She is a local thoracic surgery expert who will be significantly responsible for overseeing operations at the new complex.
The lung cancer care centre will feature the state’s first artificial intelligence-powered lung nodule detection program. It will also house an Ion robotic bronchoscopy system from Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG) (ETR: IUI1) for completing lung biopsy examinations.
The institute will serve as the state’s largest robotic surgery centre for lung cancer. Like all other American states, the respiratory disease is the leading cause of cancer death in Hawaii.
Read more: Breath Diagnostics onboards new president and closes critical financing
Read more: Breath Diagnostics pioneers novel lung cancer breath test
Hawaii has nation’s lowest early diagnosis rate
Only about 21 per cent of cases are diagnosed in their most treatable stage in Hawaii, well below the national average of 27 per cent. That is according to the 2024 State of Lung Cancer Report from the American Lung Association (ALA).
“Hawai’i has ranked last in the nation for early diagnosis of lung cancer for three consecutive years, and our mission is to change that,” Dr. Amai said.
In 2021, the state established an Early Detection Lung Cancer Screening Task Force to combat this problem in response to data from the ALA’s reports. It is overseen by the Hawaii Comprehensive Cancer Coalition with direction from the state’s Department of Health.
Despite this issue, Hawaii thankfully has some of the cleanest air in the United States and a percentage of smokers well below the national average.
Additionally, the state has the lowest levels of radon in the entire country. This naturally occurring radioactive gas is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.
rowan@mugglehead.com
