Eisenhower Health Reaches Nearly 300 Monarch Cases

Innovative technology for lung cancer diagnosis

Since 2019, Eisenhower Health has performed nearly 300 cases using the groundbreaking Monarch™ robotic bronchoscopy system to diagnose lung cancer. This technology allows clinicians to view the inside of the lungs and obtain a tissue sample for biopsy, enabling earlier and more accurate diagnosis of small and hard-to-reach nodules in the periphery of the lung. Eisenhower Health was the first hospital in Southern California to utilize the platform.  

“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, in part because it has no symptoms in its early stages. Because the Monarch Platform provides improved reach, vision and control for bronchoscopic procedures, it holds potential to help us to make a diagnosis earlier,” says Justin Thomas, MD, who is Board Certified in Pulmonary Disease, Interventional Pulmonary Disease, Internal Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, and the Director of the Bronchoscopy Laboratory, Eisenhower Health.

More than 90 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer do not survive the disease, in part because it is often found at an advanced stage. However, early detection using low dose computed tomography (LDCT) scanning can help save lives with early detection and intervention. Eisenhower offers lung cancer screening to evaluate current and former smokers for their risk of lung cancer. Combined with a multidisciplinary team of experts and advanced technology like the Monarch, Eisenhower has made a commitment to finding lung cancer in its earliest stages for the betterment of the community.                                 

To determine if you’re a candidate for lung cancer screening, call Eisenhower’s Lung Cancer Screening Program at 760.837.8880.