Monday, April 30, 2012
Bridgeport Hospital Pulmonary Medicine experts continue to report progress in the use of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) to detect and monitor cancers of the lungs and surrounding chest area that in the past have required more invasive surgical approaches to evaluate.
“Knowing how far cancer has spread helps determine the best type of treatment for the patient,” says Daniel Rudolph, MD, one of the pulmonologists who conducts EBUS exams.
EBUS is performed during a bronchoscopy, a procedure involving the placement of a scope through the mouth or nose into the large airways leading to the lungs. When the scope is in place, a special ultrasound probe is used to send sound waves through the walls of the airways into the surrounding areas, including the lungs and the part of the chest between the lungs.
If abnormal areas are seen during the ultrasound exam, a tissue sample is taken and sent for laboratory analysis to determine the presence of cancer or other abnormalities.
For more information, call Bridgeport Hospital Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine David Kaufman, MD, at 203.384.5009.
Bridgeport Hospital pulmonologists work with other members of the multidisciplinary team in The Norma F. Pfriem Cancer Institute at Bridgeport Hospital to provide care to more than 1,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients each year, a greater number than any other hospital in Fairfield County. The hospital is a member of the Yale New Haven Cancer Network, an alliance of hospitals across Connecticut that provides access to the latest breakthroughs and delivers an unparalleled level of expertise in cancer prevention, early diagnosis and groundbreaking therapy.
Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org
