title: Invasive examinations in patients with suspected lung cancer: more may be too many.
abstract: The recent article entitled "Principles of biopsy in suspected lung cancer: priority still based on invasion in the era of targeted therapy?" published in Journal of Thoracic Disease by Chen et al., concluded the principles of biopsy in suspected lung cancer should be prioritized in sequence based on weight in clinical management, acquisition of tissue, invasion, efficiency and cost. We reported a patient with a 30-year history of pulmonary silicosis, had been found no evidence of tumor after receiving a series of invasive examinations. We conclude that invasive examinations should be limited in patients with suspected lung cancer who had a defined history of underlying disease. Minimal invasion with careful acquisition of the appropriate quantity and quality of tissue should be adequate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Wang-Jian
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Zha
authors.affiliation: Department of general surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Nan
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Bu-Qing
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Ping
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Jiang
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: Lung cancer; biopsy; invasive examinations