Submitted Sumedha Sonde, MD, is pictured in the center with Bandy Endoscopy Center associates. Sumedha Sonde, MD, pulmonologist, recently performed Hamilton Medical Center’s 100th Ion robotic-assisted bronchoscopy procedure. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S., largely because it’s often found too late. When lung cancer is diagnosed early, patients experience a nearly 8 times higher five-year survival rate than those diagnosed at a later stage. “Ion gives us a powerful new tool in the fight against lung cancer,” said Sumedha Sonde, MD, pulmonologist.