ANNISTON, AL — RMC Health System has announced the launch of its Ion Bronchoscopy program, bringing advanced robotic-assisted lung biopsy technology to patients across northeast Alabama in an effort to improve early lung cancer detection and survival outcomes.
Hospital officials said the new service line marks a significant advancement in respiratory oncology care and is designed to help physicians diagnose lung cancer earlier and more accurately through minimally invasive procedures.
According to RMC, national five-year survival rates for lung cancer have improved by approximately 12% between 2018 and 2025, due in part to advancements in early detection technologies such as the Ion system. The health system stated that Ion is projected to become the highest-volume modality for lung nodule biopsy in the United States by 2025.
The announcement comes as Alabama continues to rank among the lowest states in the nation for lung cancer survival rates. Current data cited by RMC shows Alabama’s five-year lung cancer survival rate is approximately 22%.
Hospital officials said delayed diagnosis remains one of the largest contributing factors. About 25% of lung cancer cases are detected early enough for survival rates to reach roughly 65%, while approximately 43% are not diagnosed until later stages, when survival rates may fall to around 10%.
The Ion Bronchoscopy system uses an ultra-thin robotic-assisted catheter designed to navigate deep into the lungs with precision and stability. Physicians can use the technology to reach peripheral lung nodules, particularly in the outer areas of the lungs that have historically been difficult to access using traditional biopsy methods.
RMC stated that more than 3,100 patients in Alabama were impacted by Ion technology during 2025, reflecting growing statewide adoption of the system.
With the launch of the program, RMC becomes one of the first 1,000 hospitals in the country to implement the technology, the 13th hospital in Alabama to offer the service, and the first hospital north and northeast of Birmingham to provide Ion Bronchoscopy procedures.
The procedure may be performed under local anesthesia and includes real-time navigation capabilities that allow physicians to locate and mark lung nodules for potential surgical intervention.
Hospital officials also noted that traditional CT-guided biopsy procedures carry a national complication rate of approximately 17%, while robotic-assisted Ion procedures have complication rates below 5%.
RMC said another major advantage of the technology is a reduction in diagnostic timelines. Some aggressive forms of lung cancer can advance stages within six weeks, according to hospital officials. Traditional diagnostic processes can sometimes take up to six months, while the Ion system has reduced that timeline to approximately 28 days.
Through the expansion of its respiratory oncology program, RMC said it hopes to improve early-stage cancer detection throughout northeast Alabama, reduce mortality rates, and shorten the time between detection and treatment.
Regional Medical Center is based in Anniston and serves patients across northeast Alabama. The hospital employs more than 1,800 team members, works with more than 200 physicians, and is accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer.
