Lung Cancer is the leading cause of all cancer-related deaths in the United States among every ethnic group, taking more lives than breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney, and melanoma cancers combined. Saint Thomas Hospital is now using the latest technology for diagnosing and staging lung cancer – the endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) system from Olympus.

 

The EBUS-TBNA system design features linear-scanning ultrasound imaging capability and a dedicated aspiration needle, specifically designed for diagnostic biopsies and staging in the lung. The EBUS scope offers real-time imaging and allows physicians to confirm the exact position of the needle in the lymph node. Saint Thomas Medical Group pulmonologists Susan Garwood, MD, and Stacy Vallejo, MD, said the new EBUS system is a minimally invasive, more reliable method to detect cancer in the lungs.

 

“Unlike conventional transbronchial needle aspiration or mediastinoscopy, EBUS-TBNA’s breakthrough combination of maximum reliability and minimum invasiveness has made it the biopsy method of choice for more accurate diagnosis and staging in the lung,” said Garwood. “The needle itself has a specially designed ‘dimpled’ tip, which enhances the view of the needle on the ultrasound image, making it easier to position for biopsy. With these technical advancements offered by EBUS, many lymph nodes and lesions have become easier to sample, helping to increase the accuracy and reliability of bronchoscopy procedures.”

 

Unfortunately, only 16 percent of lung cancer is diagnosed at its earliest and most curable stage, while more than 51 percent of cases are diagnosed after the cancer has metastasized. With EBUS, it is now possible to diagnose lung cancer more accurately. Using EBUS as a diagnostic tool provides several other benefits, as well. “First, with EBUS, more lymph nodes are accessible compared to the conventional, more invasive surgical procedure, known as mediastinoscopy. Second, the patient avoids having to undergo a surgical procedure to obtain a diagnosis,” said Vallejo. “Additionally, compared to surgery, the complication rate with EBUS is far lower and scheduling an outpatient procedure is easier to accomplish than scheduling operating room time.”