Usefulness of a Lung Cancer Rapid Diagnosis Specialist Clinic. Contribution of Ultrasound Bronchoscopy

Objective: To analyse the results obtained in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer (LC) by a Lung Cancer Rapid Diagnosis Unit (LC-RDU) in which real-time endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (RT-EBUS guided-TBNA) is performed as part of the clinical evaluation of the patient prior to treatment. Method: A four year observational study was conducted on a group of patients evaluated due to suspicion of LC in an LC-RDU. The times and the techniques required for the diagnosis and identifying the level of the disease in the initial staging were recorded. Results: Out of a total of 678 patients seen in the LC-RDU, the diagnosis in 352 was confirmed in one or more histopathology samples. In 170 patients (48.2%) the diagnosis was made with biopsies and/or cytology samples obtained by fibrobronchoscopy, and RT-EBUS guided-TBNA confirmed the clinical suspicion in 70 patients (19.9%). In the 280 patients with SCLC, 166 RT-EBUS guided-TBNA were performed for staging (59.3%), and in 105 of them the technique only showed local disease (37.5%). Therapeutic surgery was performed on 83 of these patients, and was radical in 73 cases (87.9%). Conclusion: In half of the patients referred to the LC-RDU due to suspected LC, the diagnosis was confirmed in 75% of cases using endoscopic techniques. RT-EBUS guided-TBNA was the diagnostic technique in 20% of the cases, for staging in more than half of them, and led to reduced waiting times for the diagnosis and starting treatment. (C) 2010 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.