First in Colorado injection to identify lung cancer during surgery performed at HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children's

Denver, CO – HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children’s today announced it is the first medical center in Colorado to offer a unique injection as part of its oncology surgery services. The technology is the only FDA approved fluorescent imaging to light up lung cancer during surgery — enhancing surgeons’ ability to visualize cancer in real time.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, with nearly 240,000 new diagnoses and 130,000 deaths from the disease in the U.S. each year¹. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in Colorado –In 2021 data shows that among all races and ethnicities, the age-adjusted rate of lung and bronchus cancer was 33.8 per 100,000 people, resulting in 2,291 reported cases. This rate reflects a significant health challenge, underscoring the importance of early detection and treatment efforts statewide. While surgery is a gold standard treatment, up to 55% of people with lung cancer who undergo surgery with curative intent have a recurrence.² 

“By lighting up lung lesions in real time during surgery, this technology helps us to accurately detect cancer and potentially find additional cancer ultimately improving outcomes,” said Stephen Rothenberg, MD, chief of pediatric surgery at HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children’s. “We are thrilled to be among the first to offer this novel technology to our patients.”

In a clinical trial, the injection helped surgeons find a lung cancer lesion that could not be found with standard approaches in nearly 20% of patients.  Administered by standard IV in as little as one hour before surgery, the injection includes a dye that lights up when a special camera is used during surgery. HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children’s is committed to bringing the latest in cancer technologies to patients and is improving outcomes thanks to advanced technologies.