Three doctors at the Saint John Regional Hospital are looking to enhance treatment and care for lung cancer patients.
It is one of three pitches in this year’s Lions’ Den competition hosted by the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation.
The Dragons’ Den-inspired competition will see five “Lions” — the men and women in business who served as investors and judges — determine which team will receive the top prize of $500,000.
The team is made up of Dr. Crispin Russell, a thoracic surgeon at the hospital, along with medical oncologist Dr. Amy Groom and thoracic surgeon Dr. Brian Johnston.
Russell said lung cancer is the most diagnosed form of cancer and the most deadly, in part because it is often found in an advanced stage when survival is low.
To help address that, the team is looking to purchase a 3D navigational bronchoscopy to access difficult-to-reach areas of the lungs.
“It’s a fancy computer algorithm that links with our CT scan that will allow us to find our way through the very small branches of the airways in endoscopic technique,” described Russell.
“It guides us using like a GPS roadmap to these small peripheral tumours, which otherwise we may have to just watch until they’re large enough to biopsy traditionally or just not be able to access normally through bronchoscopy.”
In conjunction with the bronchoscopy is a technology that would allow for tumours to be marked, allowing surgeons to use a special fluorescence to identify their exact location and save previous lung tissue.
The team also wants to hire a nurse navigator as part of a two-year pilot project to help patients navigate the medical system.
“They’re kind of like that lifeline for the patients. It’s common in other jurisdictions and health authorities and it’s proven time and time again to be effective in terms of getting people through the system faster at greater ease with better patient satisfaction,” said Russell.
Russell said their pitch would have huge benefits for patients who have been diagnosed with lung cancer.
“It would help us get to the point where we would diagnose lung cancer earlier so that we’re able to treat it earlier and increase rates of cure, which is critical in any cancer-type treatment,” he said.
In the long run, Russell said it has the potential to save healthcare dollars by reducing costs for ongoing chemotherapy treatments, hospital stays, and potentially palliative care treatments.
On top of the $500,000 top prize, the winner of the competition will also take home a $100,000 research grant from the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation.
The runner-up team that audiences vote as most deserving will take home $75,000 for their project.
The Lions’ Den will premiere online on Sept. 10. You can find more details about this pitch, and the other two in the competition, on The Give’s website.
This is the second in a three-part series highlighting the teams in this year’s competition. Part one was released on Monday, Aug. 30, while part three will be released on Wednesday, Sept. 8.
Follow
