Pioneering cancer test introduced in Wales

A hospital in west Wales has become the first in the country to introduce a pioneering new technique aimed at speeding up lung cancer diagnosis and improving treatment decisions.

Hywel Dda University Health Board said Prince Philip Hospital is now the only centre in Wales offering the advanced CryoEBUS procedure as part of its respiratory diagnostic service.

The technique, known as Cryobiopsy Endobronchial Ultrasound, uses ultrasound guidance alongside a freezing method to collect larger and better-preserved tissue samples from lymph nodes and lung masses.

Doctors say the improved samples can help provide more accurate diagnoses, particularly for complex respiratory conditions and lung cancers where increasingly detailed molecular testing is needed to guide modern treatments.

Health board officials said the introduction of the technology is expected to shorten diagnostic pathways for patients and reduce the need for repeat procedures.

The first procedures were carried out in November 2025 by consultant respiratory physicians Dr Robin Ghosal and Dr Jonathan Fisher-Black alongside the hospital’s endoscopy team.

Dr Ghosal, who completed specialist training in the technique, said the technology represented “a real step forward” for patients.

“It’s a very new technology which is gaining momentum and Prince Philip Hospital is the first in Wales to use it and one of only a handful in the whole of the UK,” he said.

“The improved diagnostic capability offered by CryoEBUS is a real step forward for patients within Hywel Dda and clinical teams at Prince Philip Hospital. It allows us to obtain significantly improved tissue samples while remaining minimally invasive.

“This has important implications for diagnostic confidence, particularly in complex lymph node pathology and supports more efficient progression to treatment decisions.”

He added: “The procedure, which is performed under conscious sedation, integrates an innovative technique into established bronchoscopic and endobronchial ultrasound workflows, offering an advanced less invasive option that can reduce the need for repeat procedures and support earlier treatment planning for more complex cases.”

The health board said the adoption of CryoEBUS reinforced the hospital’s role in developing innovative respiratory care for patients across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

Advanced healthcare

Hywel Dda medical director Mark Henwood said the development showed advanced healthcare could be delivered outside major cities.

“We are always looking at innovative ways to improve the care we give our patients. I’m very proud that Prince Philip Hospital is leading the way in which we diagnose respiratory diseases,” he said.

“This just goes to show that you don’t have to live in a big city to have access to the most pioneering and effective health care.”