Since the trial, more than 900 Ion-assisted procedures have been performed at Royal Brompton Hospital, signaling rapid adoption within the NHS and potential for broader rollout.

A UK-first trial at Royal Brompton and St Bartholew’s hospitals used the Ion endoluminal robotic system to biopsy small lung nodules, achieving 92% diagnostic accuracy and 99% success in placing the biopsy within the target nodule.

The trial involved 200 NHS patients and relied on pre-procedure CT scans to build a detailed route map of the lungs for precise robotic navigation.

Patient advocacy groups, including the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, say earlier, accurate diagnoses could reduce anxiety and enable timely curative treatment.

Health organizations and patient groups stress that the technology could cut diagnostic delays and improve access to curative treatment when cancer is confirmed.

Clinicians noted that the ability to diagnose smaller nodules sooner could allow patients to resume normal activities the same day, rather than undergoing prolonged monitoring.

The study, published in Thorax, supports wider NHS rollout and expansion beyond trial sites, given positive outcomes and scalability seen in other health systems.

Traditional follow-up intervals for nodules can cause anxiety and delay treatment, whereas robotics may mitigate these delays.

Leaders including Prof. Pallav Shah and Kelvin Lau say broader NHS adoption could make screening more meaningful by enabling rapid, accurate biopsies of nodules detected through screening.

Experts argue the robotics approach enhances lung cancer screening’s value by speeding diagnosis and reducing patient anxiety from delayed follow-up.

Experts describe this as a paradigm shift in lung cancer diagnosis and screening, potentially reducing wait times, accelerating treatment decisions, and improving survival by enabling earlier intervention.

Early and reliable diagnosis may lead to faster access to treatment and improved survival, with patients able to return to normal activities sooner after biopsy.