DULUTH, Minn. — Essentia Health is combating lung cancer by expanding access to early detection screenings with state-of-the-art equipment. From more staff and hours to a new robot, the Lung Nodule and Advanced Bronchoscopy clinic can now see more patients and diagnose them much earlier. “Our goal with all of this is to find lung cancer at its earliest stages. “Historically, it’s taken months to years for them to get in to see someone, to figure out what the lung nodule is, and come up with a plan moving forward. That can be 1 pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years.