Mauna Kea Technologies SA announced the opening of a French Center of Excellence for the use of Cellvizio in lung cancer diagnostics. The Cellvizio procedure is now performed preoperatively by Prof. Stephane Renaud, MD, PhD, a leading thoracic surgeon at the University Hospital (CHRU) in Nancy, France. This initiative is part of a global strategic expansion plan to establish Centers of Excellence in established and emerging clinical indications in several countries.

The rise in lung cancer screening coupled with the increased use of chest-computed tomography (CT) has generated a surge in the detection of suspected malignant lung lesions globally, increasing the need for more effective and efficient diagnostic methods. Given that over 80% of these incidental lesions develop in the peripheral bronchoscopy, they pose a challenge to conventional bronchoscopy due to their difficult visualization and accessibility. Combined with endobronchial navigation, Cellvizio improves bronchoscopy and allows simple, minimally invasive access to all areas of the lung, revealing the cellular architecture of tissues in real time.

This direct visualization is a game-changer, because it enables instant guidance to be given, even for small lesions, without waiting for rapid cytology results, which are of very low diagnostic quality. This innovation not only reduces the length of procedures, but also improves diagnostic accuracy by enabling precise targeting of lesions and of biopsies, while providing greater safety for patients.