Non-smoking young Asian women and men increasingly are at risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer linked to genetic mutations, impacting patients throughout Silicon Valley.
This under-recognized health concern is growing particularly among women in their 30s to 50s with no history of smoking who don’t fit the traditional risk profile. Early detection of these fast-emerging genetic subtypes is possible through advanced robotic bronchoscopy systems.
Because these cancers frequently develop in individuals with no symptoms and no traditional risk factors, physicians increasingly rely on enhanced imaging and minimally invasive diagnostic tools to identify small or hidden nodules before the disease spreads.
Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose is one of only a handful of hospitals with a robotic bronchoscope, that when paired with advanced 3D imaging, allows physicians to navigate deep into a patient’s lungs with GPS-like precision and safely biopsy nodules as small as a few millimeters. This approach allows physicians to detect cancer earlier – often before symptoms become noticeable – and tailor treatments more effectively.
“The combination of this robot here at Good Samaritan along with the 3D imaging, allows us to have the best technology available to diagnose the smallest and hardest spots in the lungs,” said Interventional Pulmonologist, Dr. Harmeet Bedi. “Most hospitals don’t have this capability and we’re very proud to showcase [the technology].”
Centers for Disease Control data show that 10% to 20% of all U.S. lung cancer cases occur in people who have never smoked with the risk especially high among Asian American women, more than half of whom have no smoking history at the time of diagnosis. Asian American women who have never smoked are about twice as likely to develop lung cancer as white women with the same non-smoking history, other studies show. Many of these cancers are driven by mutations such as EGFR, which appear in up to 60% to 74% of non-smoking East Asian women with lung adenocarcinoma. These genetic subtypes often progress silently, making early diagnosis critical.
“This is the future of lung cancer diagnosis,” said Chief Medical Officer at Good Samaritan Hospital Dr. Rich Briones. “Most hospitals don’t have this level of precision technology. Our ability to partner with experts like Dr. Bedi and combine robotic navigation with 3D imaging allows us to diagnose cancers earlier, when treatment is most effective.”
Watch the full video
“Understanding Lung Cancer in Non-Smokers & the Role of Robotic Bronchoscopy”
Media interviews available
- Dr. Harmeet Bedi, Interventional Pulmonologist, Stanford University (Good Samaritan collaborator)
- Dr. Rich Briones, Chief Medical Officer, Good Samaritan Hospital