Advances in bronchoscopy for lung cancer

Samjot Singh Dhillon1, Elisabeth U Dexter2
1Department of Medicine Pulmonary Medicine and Thoracic Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, New York, USA.
2Department of Thoracic Surgery, Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Department of Surgery, State University of New York at Buffalo, New York, USA.
DOI:10.4103/1477-3163.105337

ABSTRACT

Bronchoscopic techniques have seen significant advances in the last decade. The development and refinement of different types of endobronchial ultrasound and navigation systems have led to improved diagnostic yield and lung cancer staging capabilities. The complication rate of these minimally invasive procedures is extremely low as compared to traditional transthoracic needle biopsy and surgical sampling. These advances augment the safe array of methods utilized in the work up and management algorithms of lung cancer.

Keywords: Bronchoscopy, electromagnetic navigation, endobronchial ultrasound, lung nodule.