[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.


METHODS
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%).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Sanz-Santos
José
J
Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain. 34057jss@comb.cat
Andreo
Felipe
F
Sánchez
Dan
D
Castellá
Eva
E
Llatjós
Maria
M
Bechini
Jordi
J
Guasch
Ignasi
I
López De Castro
Pedro
P
Roca
Josep
J
Parra
Isidre
I
Monsó
Eduard
E
D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional