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.
Forrest Sanders recently introduced us to a Nashville hero named Eudora Boxley. She was the first black woman to have a cooking show on TV in Nashville. Her grandson was precious describing Eudora and how she raised him and how proud he and the family were of her impact not only on WLAC but on a city during the turbulent Civil Rights Era. A woman who did extraordinary things at a time when history did not expect her to.
-Amy Watson
