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NCH First in Southwest Florida

to Offer Laser Procedure for

Treating Airway Tumors

by Paul Hiltz, NCH President & CEO

t Naples Comprehensive Health Dr. David Lindner, Division Head of Pulmonary,
(NCH), innovation is how we Critical Care & Sleep Medicine at NCH, shared, “While we’ve
A shape the future of health care long offered advanced options like stenting and intrabronchial
in our community. Every advancement chemotherapy, PDT gives us a powerful new tool to help patients
we provide to our community reflects our who once had very few.”
ongoing mission to deliver the highest Due to the significant capital investment required for the laser
quality of care. In May of this year, we and the procedure’s highly specialized nature, PDT is not widely
took another meaningful step forward by available and the number of patients who qualify is relatively small.
becoming the first healthcare provider in Southwest Florida to However, for those patients, this treatment can be life changing
offer Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), an advanced laser based — and, in some cases, life saving. NCH is proud to continue
treatment for patients with certain types of lung and airway its tradition of bringing advanced care to Southwest Florida by
tumors. investing in technologies that expand treatment possibilities, even
PDT is a highly targeted treatment that uses a for smaller patient populations.
photosensitizing drug called Photofrin® and a specialized We are committed to bringing this level of innovation to our
laser to destroy cancerous tissue in the airways while sparing community and ensuring that Southwest Florida remains at the
surrounding healthy tissue. After the medication is absorbed by forefront of medical advancement. That means continuing
the tumor, a controlled dose of laser light activates it, triggering to invest in technologies and treatments that expand what’s
a reaction that destroys the cancer cells. Healthy tissue, though possible for our patients.
photosensitized, is unaffected by the light exposure. For more information about this treatment, visit NCHmd.org
While this laser technology has been around for some time, At NCH, we are shaping the future of healthcare—
the innovative use of it at NCH within the field of pulmonary one breakthrough at a time.
oncology is new and unique. It is being used as both a curative
treatment for certain localized non-small cell lung cancers
confined to the airway, and as a palliative treatment for relieving
airway obstruction caused by tumor growth, which often leads to
post-obstructive pneumonia. In these cases, PDT restores airway
patency and improves patient comfort and breathing.

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