Preliminary data on cryobiopsy performed with ultrathin bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions suspected of malignancy

E. Tagliabue*^a (Dr), T. Aloe'^a (Dr), IMG. Piroddi^a (Dr), F. Sclifo'^a (Dr), S. Garuti^a (Dr), M. Bellotti^a (Dr), M. Grosso^a (Dr), E. Barisione^a (Prof)

^a IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, ITALY

* elena.tagliabue@hsanmartino.it

The management of non-small cell lung cancer has become increasingly complex in the background of personalized medicine approach. The bronchoscopic cryobiopsy (CB) is a recent technique that has proved its rule in the diagnosis of both endobronchial and peripheral lung tumours (1). In our center we used CB performed with the Ultra-Thin bronchoscopy (UT) with fluoroscopic guide (2). It can allow higher diagnostic rate and a superior quality of the collected samples for histopathological and molecular diagnosis of lung cancer. (3)

This are preliminary data of 13 patients with suspected peripheral lung cancer who underwent CB with UT (March-December 2021). Of these 13 patients (mean age 74.6 years), 3 were female; 2 of them were active smokers, 3 stopped smoking , 3 never smoked. For the 5 remaining no medical history was available. Seven patients had a clinical oncological history. Before bronchoscopy, all patients were studied with contrast-enhanced chest CT. 4 were characterized as pulmonary opacities, while of the remaining peripheral lesions 3 were masses and 6 were nodules.

The diagnostic yield of CB was 84,6% with histological diagnosis. 9 patients were diagnosed with lung cancer (adenocarcinoma: 4; squamous-cell carcinoma: 1; NSCLC-not other specified: 1; mucoepidermoid carcinoma: 1; carcinoid: 1). One patient was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and one patient with organized pneumonia and two patients’ samples were not diagnostic. Pneumothorax occurred in only one case, and only one patient had mild bleeding. In adenocarcinoma samples immunohistochemical analysis was performed.

CB in association with UT allows collection of large and nearly intact tissue samples, improving the diagnostic rate, facilitating the measurement of multiple biomarkers and making histologic diagnosis quicker (4). Patient enrolment is ongoing during this new year.

1.DOI: 10.1097/MCP.0000000000000848

2.DOI:10.21037/jtd-2020-abpd-001

3.DOI: 10.1155/2013/730574

4.DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052625

Disclosure of funding source(s): none