Mediastinal staging of NSCLC with endoscopic and endobronchial ultrasound

A Review of the Current Approach and Treatment Landscape for Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

The therapeutic landscape of the management of stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has drastically evolved with the incorporation of immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Stage III NSCLC accounts for one-third of the cases and the treatment strategy of these locally advanced presentations are diverse, ranging from surgical to non-surgical options; with the incorporation of chemo-immunotherapy, radiation, and targeted therapies wherever applicable. The staging of this disease has also changed, and it is essential to have a strong multidisciplinary approach to do justice to patient care. In this article, we aim to navigate the nuanced approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of stage III NSCLC and expand on the evolution of the management of this disease.

The impact of staging FDG-PET/CT on treatment for stage III NSCLC - an analysis of population-based data from Ontario, Canada

Purpose

Fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET/CT) is now considered a standard investigation for the staging of new cases of stage III NSCLC. However, there is not published level 3 evidence demonstrating the impact of FDG-PET/CT on appropriate therapy in this setting. Using retrospective population-based data, we sought to examine the role and timing that FDG-PET/CT scans play in influencing treatment choice, as well as survival in patients diagnosed with stage III NSCLC.

Materials and methods

A retrospective cohort of patients diagnosed with stage III NSCLC from 2009-2017 in Ontario were identified from the IC/ES (formerly Institute of Clinical Evaluative Sciences) database. FDG-PET/CT utilization over time, trends in mediastinal biopsy technique and usage, the impact of FDG-PET/CT on overall survival (OS), and its influence on use of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) were explored. The impact of timing of pre-treatment FDG-PET/CT on OS was also analyzed (≤28 days prior to treatment, 29-56 days prior, and >56 days prior).

Results

Between 2007 and 2017, a total of 13 796 people were diagnosed with stage III NSCLC in Ontario. FDG-PET/CT utilization increased over time with 0% of cases in 2007 and 74% in 2017 with pre-treatment FDG-PET/CT scans. The number of patients who received a mediastinal biopsy similarly increased in this timeframe increasing from 41% to 53%. More patients with pre-treatment FDG-PET/CT scans received curative-intent therapy than those who did not: 23% vs 13% for CRT (p<0.001), and 23% vs 10% for surgery (p<0.001). Median OS was longer in those with FDG-PET/CT scans prior to treatment (17 vs 11 months), as was 5-year survival (22% vs 14%, p<0.001), and this held true on both univariate and multivariate analyses. Timing of FDG-PET/CT scan relative to treatment was not associated with differences in OS.

Conclusion

Improvements in OS were seen in this cohort of stage III NSCLC patients who underwent a pre-treatment FDG-PET/CT scan. This can likely be attributed to stage-appropriate therapy due to more complete staging using FDG-PET/CT. This study stresses the importance of complete staging for suspected stage III NSCLC using FDG-PET/CT, and a need for continued advocacy for increased access to FDG-PET/CT scans.

Beyond the Frontline: A Triple-Line Approach of Thoracic Surgeons in Lung Cancer Management-State of the Art

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is now described as an extremely heterogeneous disease in its clinical presentation, histology, molecular characteristics, and patient conditions. Over the past 20 years, the management of lung cancer has evolved with positive results. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment landscape for NSCLC in both metastatic and locally advanced stages. The identification of molecular alterations in NSCLC has also allowed the development of targeted therapies, which provide better outcomes than chemotherapy in selected patients. However, patients usually develop acquired resistance to these treatments. On the other hand, thoracic surgery has progressed thanks to minimally invasive procedures, pre-habilitation and enhanced recovery after surgery. Moreover, within thoracic surgery, precision surgery considers the patient and his/her disease in their entirety to offer the best oncologic strategy. Surgeons support patients from pre-operative rehabilitation to surgery and beyond. They are involved in post-treatment follow-up and lung cancer recurrence. When conventional therapies are no longer effective, salvage surgery can be performed on selected patients.

Thoracoscopic Surgery Shows Non-Inferiority to Open Surgery for Clinical N0-N2 and Pathologic N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Objectives

Controversy has remained over the primary surgical management for stage IIIA-N2 non–small cell lung cancer. Minimal or non-bulky N2 disease defined as single-station nodal involvement may still be a candidate of radical surgery. The aim of this study was thus to assess the outcome of thoracoscopic surgery in clinical N0-N2 and pathologic N2 disease.

Methods

Seventy-nine cases of pathologic N2 diseases without induction therapy (clinical N0, 27; N1, 13; N2, 39) were operated on between September 2003 and December 2010 in our institute. Forty-seven patients underwent thoracoscopic surgery (group T) and 32 patients underwent standard thoracotomy (group S). Perioperative and oncologic outcomes were compared between the 2 groups.

Results

There were no significant differences between the 2 groups regarding dissected number of lymph nodes, operative time, morbidity, and mortality. However, blood loss in group T was less than in group S (Mean: T, 229 versus S, 534 mL, respectively; P = 0.0004). Although disease-free survival in group T did not differ from that in group S, overall survival in group T was better than in group S after propensity score matching to adjust confounding factors including tumor size and T factor (P = 0.03). Multivariate analysis showed that multinodal stations was significantly worse prognostic factor [hazard ratio (HR) = 4.79; 95% confidence interval (CI) = (1.6–14.3); P = 0.005) in disease-free and overall survivals [HR = 8.21; 95% CI = (1.9–35.4); P = 0.005]. Thoracoscopic surgery was favorable prognostic factor in overall survivals [HR = 0.13; 95% CI = (0.03–0.6); P = 0.009].

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that thoracoscopic surgery for non-bulky N2 disease was feasible and not inferior to standard thoracotomy in terms of oncologic outcome.

Endobronchial Ultrasound Staging of Operable Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Do Triple-Normal Lymph Nodes Require Routine Biopsy?

BACKGROUND

Staging guidelines for lung cancer recommend endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and systematic biopsy of at least three mediastinal lymph node (LN) stations for accurate staging. A four-point ultrasonographic score (Canada Lymph Node Score [CLNS]) was developed to determine the probability of malignancy in each LN. A LN with a CLNS of < 2 is considered low probability for malignancy. We hypothesized that, in patients with cN0 non-small cell lung cancer, LNs with CLNS of < 2 may not require routine biopsy because they represent true node-negative disease.

RESEARCH QUESTION

Do LNs considered triple normal on CT scanning, PET scanning, and CLNS evaluation require routine biopsy?

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

LNs were evaluated for ultrasonographic features at the time of EBUS and the CLNS was applied. Triple-normal LNs were defined as cN0 on CT scanning (short axis, < 1 cm), PET scanning (no hypermetabolic activity), and EBUS (CLNS, < 2). Specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated against the gold standard pathologic diagnosis from surgically excised specimens.

RESULTS

In total, 143 LNs from 57 cN0 patients were assessed. Triple-normal LNs showed a specificity and NPV of 60% (95% CI, 51.2%-68.3%) and 93.1% (95% CI, 85.6%-97.4%), respectively. After pathologic assessment, only 5.6% (n = 8/143) of triple-normal nodes were proven to be malignant.

INTERPRETATION

At the time of staging for lung cancer, combining CT scanning, PET scanning, and CLNS criteria can identify triple-normal LNs that have a high NPV for malignancy. This raises the question of whether triple-normal LNs require routine sampling during EBUS and transbronchial needle aspiration. A prospective trial is required to confirm these findings.

Exhaustive Review on Lung Cancers: Novel Technologies

BACKGROUND

Lung cancers or (Bronchogenic-Carcinomas) are the disease in certain parts of the lungs in which irresistible multiplication of abnormal cells leads to the inception of a tumor. Lung cancers consisting of two substantial forms based on the microscopic appearance of tumor cells are: Non-Small-Cell-Lung-Cancer (NSCLC) (80 to 85%) and Small-Cell-Lung-Cancer (SCLC) (15 to 20%).

DISCUSSION

Lung cancers are existing luxuriantly across the globe and the most prominent cause of death in advanced countries (USA & UK). There are many causes of lung cancers in which the utmost imperative aspect is the cigarette smoking. During the early stage, there is no perspicuous sign/symptoms but later many symptoms emerge in the infected individual such as insomnia, headache, pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, coughing etc. Lung cancers can be diagnosed in many ways, such as history, physical examination, chest X-rays and biopsy. However, after the diagnosis and confirmation of lung carcinoma, various treatment approaches are existing for curing of cancer in different stages such as surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immune therapy. Currently, novel techniques merged that revealed advancements in detection and curing of lung cancer in which mainly includes: microarray analysis, gene expression profiling.

CONCLUSION

Consequently, the purpose of the current analysis is to specify and epitomize the novel literature pertaining to the development of cancerous cells in different parts of the lung, various preeminent approaches of prevention, efficient diagnostic procedure, and treatments along with novel technologies for inhibition of cancerous cell growth in advance stages.

The dosimetric effects of limited elective nodal irradiation in volumetric modulated arc therapy treatment planning for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective

Contemporary radiotherapy guidelines for locally advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (LA-NSCLC) recommend omitting elective nodal irradiation, despite the fact that evidence supporting this came primarily from older reports assessing comprehensive nodal coverage using 3D conformal techniques. Herein, we evaluated the dosimetric implications of the addition of limited elective nodal irradiation (LENI) to standard involved field irradiation (IFI) using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) planning.

Method

Target volumes and organs-at-risk (OARs) were delineated on CT simulation images of 20 patients with LA-NSCLC. Two VMAT plans (IFI and LENI) were generated for each patient. Involved sites were treated to 60 Gy in 30 fractions for both IFI and LENI plans. Adjacent uninvolved nodal regions, considered high risk based on the primary tumor site and extent of nodal involvement, were treated to 51 Gy in 30 fractions in LENI plans using a simultaneous integrated boost approach.

Results

All planning objectives for PTVs and OARs were achieved for both IFI and LENI plans. LENI resulted in significantly higher esophagus D_mean (15.3 vs. 22.5 Gy, p < 0.01), spinal cord D_max (34.9 vs. 42.4 Gy, p = 0.02) and lung D_mean (13.5 vs. 15.9 Gy, p = 0.02), V₂₀ (23.0 vs. 27.9%, p = 0.03), and V₅ (52.6 vs. 59.4%, p = 0.02). No differences were observed in heart parameters. On average, only 32.2% of the high-risk nodal volume received an incidental dose of 51 Gy when untargeted in IFI plans.

Conclusion

The addition of LENI to VMAT plans for LA-NSCLC is feasible, with only modestly increased doses to OARs and marginal expected increase in associated toxicity.

Isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy - performance of EBUS-TBNA in clinical practice

Background Isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy is an increasingly common finding as a result of the increasing use of cross-sectional thoracic imaging. We investigated the performance of endobronchial ultrasoundguided transbronchial needle-aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in establishing a pathological diagnosis in patients with isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Methods We retrospectively analysed all consecutive EBUS-TBNA examinations performed over a 4-year period at a single tertiary referral centre. Final diagnoses were made using pathology reports, correlated with clinical features and the results of any other investigations. Results In total, 126 EBUS-TBNA examinations were performed to investigate isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy. A positive pathological diagnosis was made following EBUSTBNA in 54 cases (43%). When the results of further investigations and variable radiological follow up were included, the final sensitivity of EBUS-TBNA for making a diagnosis in isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy was 80% (95% CI 69%-89%). Conclusions This study confirms that EBUS-TBNA has acceptable sensitivity for detecting both benign and malignant pathologies underlying isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy.

Progress and prospects of early detection in lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. It is broadly divided into small cell (SCLC, approx. 15% cases) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, approx. 85% cases). The main histological subtypes of NSCLC are adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, with the presence of specific DNA mutations allowing further molecular stratification. If identified at an early stage, surgical resection of NSCLC offers a favourable prognosis, with published case series reporting 5-year survival rates of up to 70% for small, localized tumours (stage I). However, most patients (approx. 75%) have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis (stage III/IV) and despite significant developments in the oncological management of late stage lung cancer over recent years, survival remains poor. In 2014, the UK Office for National Statistics reported that patients diagnosed with distant metastatic disease (stage IV) had a 1-year survival rate of just 15-19% compared with 81-85% for stage I.

Does Lymph Node Metastasis Have a Negative Prognostic Impact in Patients with NSCLC and M1a Disease?

OBJECTIVES

Patients with NSCLC with M1a disease regardless of lymph node status were categorized as stage IV. This study aims to investigate whether the N descriptors in M1a patients could provide clinical information.

METHODS

Overall, 39,731 patients with NSCLC with M1a disease were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database during 2005-2012. Lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) was compared among M1a patients stratified by N stage. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to evaluate the prognostic factors. Statistical analyses were performed in all subgroups.

RESULTS

M1a patients without lymph node involvement had the best LCSS, followed by patients with N1 disease; no difference in LCSS was observed between N2 and N3 disease (N0 versus N1, p < 0.001; N1 versus N2, p < 0.001; and N2 versus N3, p = 0.478). Similarly, this trend was observed when patients were subdivided into two temporal cohorts (2005-2008 and 2009-2012) and also when M1a disease was subdivided into contralateral pulmonary nodules and pleural dissemination (malignant pleural effusion [or pericardial effusion] and pleural nodules). In addition, a difference in LCSS between N2 and N3 disease was observed in patients with malignant pleural nodules (p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis showed that lymph node involvement was an independent prognostic factor for M1a patients, and this result was also noticed in all subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide preliminary evidence that lymph node stage may have clinical significance among patients with NSCLC with M1a disease, adding prognostic information.

Accidental fracture of EBUS-TBNA needle during sampling of an enlarged mediastinal lymph node

Endobronchial ultrasounded-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for sampling enlarged hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes, and mediastinal tumours is a safe procedure and can be performed under sedation and local anaesthesia. Rare complications of this procedure include haemorrhage, pneumothorax, pneumonia, mediastinitis and pericarditis (Asano F et al., Complications associated with endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration: a nationwide survey by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy. Respir Res 2013;14:50). I report an unexpected fracture of the tip of the EBUS-TBNA needle as it hit a bronchial cartilage ring during attempted insertion into a subcarinal node.

Optimal sequence of tests for the mediastinal staging of non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent type of lung cancer and the most difficult to predict. When there are no distant metastases, the optimal therapy depends mainly on whether there are malignant lymph nodes in the mediastinum. Given the vigorous debate among specialists about which tests should be used, our goal was to determine the optimal sequence of tests for each patient.

METHODS

We have built an influence diagram (ID) that represents the possible tests, their costs, and their outcomes. This model is equivalent to a decision tree containing millions of branches. In the first evaluation, we only took into account the clinical outcomes (effectiveness). In the second, we used a willingness-to-pay of € 30,000 per quality adjusted life year (QALY) to convert economic costs into effectiveness. We assigned a second-order probability distribution to each parameter in order to conduct several types of sensitivity analysis.

RESULTS

Two strategies were obtained using two different criteria. When considering only effectiveness, a positive computed tomography (CT) scan must be followed by a transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA), an endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), and an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). When the CT scan is negative, a positron emission tomography (PET), EBUS, and EUS are performed. If the TBNA or the PET is positive, then a mediastinoscopy is performed only if the EBUS and EUS are negative. If the TBNA or the PET is negative, then a mediastinoscopy is performed only if the EBUS and the EUS give contradictory results. When taking into account economic costs, a positive CT scan is followed by a TBNA; an EBUS is done only when the CT scan or the TBNA is negative. This recommendation of performing a TBNA in certain cases should be discussed by the pneumology community because TBNA is a cheap technique that could avoid an EBUS, an expensive test, for many patients.

CONCLUSIONS

We have determined the optimal sequence of tests for the mediastinal staging of NSCLC by considering sensitivity, specificity, and the economic cost of each test. The main novelty of our study is the recommendation of performing TBNA whenever the CT scan is positive. Our model is publicly available so that different experts can populate it with their own parameters and re-examine its conclusions. It is therefore proposed as an evidence-based instrument for reaching a consensus.

Transcriptional Profiling of Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Lymph Node Samples Aids Diagnosis of Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy

Background

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided biopsy is the mainstay for investigation of mediastinal lymphadenopathy for laboratory diagnosis of malignancy, sarcoidosis, or TB. However, improved methods for discriminating between TB and sarcoidosis and excluding malignancy are still needed. We sought to evaluate the role of genomewide transcriptional profiling to aid diagnostic processes in this setting.

Methods

Mediastinal lymph node samples from 88 individuals were obtained by EBUS-guided aspiration for investigation of mediastinal lymphadenopathy and subjected to transcriptional profiling in addition to conventional laboratory assessments. Computational strategies were used to evaluate the potential for using the transcriptome to distinguish between diagnostic categories.

Results

Molecular signatures associated with granulomas or neoplastic and metastatic processes were clearly discernible in granulomatous and malignant lymph node samples, respectively. Support vector machine (SVM) learning using differentially expressed genes showed excellent sensitivity and specificity profiles in receiver operating characteristic curve analysis with area under curve values > 0.9 for discriminating between granulomatous and nongranulomatous disease, TB and sarcoidosis, and between cancer and reactive lymphadenopathy. A two-step decision tree using SVM to distinguish granulomatous and nongranulomatous disease, then between TB and sarcoidosis in granulomatous cases, and between cancer and reactive lymphadenopathy in nongranulomatous cases, achieved > 90% specificity for each diagnosis and afforded greater sensitivity than existing tests to detect TB and cancer. In some diagnostically ambiguous cases, computational classification predicted granulomatous disease or cancer before pathologic abnormalities were evident.

Conclusions

Machine learning analysis of transcriptional profiling in mediastinal lymphadenopathy may significantly improve the clinical utility of EBUS-guided biopsies.

Magnetic resonance imaging for N staging in non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Lymph node staging in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is essential for deciding appropriate treatment. This study systematically reviews the literature regarding the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in lymph node staging of patients with NSCLC, and determines its pooled sensitivity and specificity.

Methods

PubMed and Embase databases and the Cochrane library were used to search for relevant studies. Two reviewers independently identified the methodological quality of each study. A meta-analysis of the reported sensitivity and specificity of each study was performed.

Results

Nine studies were included. These studies had moderate to good methodological quality. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (LR+), negative likelihood ratio (LR−) and diagnosis odds ratio (DOR) for per-patient based analyses (7 studies) were 74%, 90%, 7.5, 0.26, and 36.7, respectively, and those for per-lymph node based analyses (5 studies) were 77%, 98%, 42.24, 0.21, and 212.35, respectively. For meta-analyses of quantitative short time inversion recovery imaging (STIR) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), pooled sensitivity and specificity were 84% and 91%, and 69% and 93%, respectively. Pooled LR+ and pooled LR− were 8.44 and 0.18, and 8.36 and 0.36, respectively. The DOR was 56.29 and 27.2 respectively.

Conclusion

MRI showed high specificity in the lymph node staging of NSCLC. Quantitative STIR has greater DOR than quantitative DWI. Large, direct, and prospective studies are needed to compare the diagnostic power of STIR versus DWI; consistent diagnostic criteria should be established.

Nodal staging in lung cancer: a risk stratification model for lymph nodes classified as negative by EBUS-TBNA

BACKGROUND

Over the last 10 years, endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has become established as the first-line nodal staging procedure of choice for lung cancer patients. However, the pathway for patients following a negative EBUS-TBNA has not been clearly defined. The primary aim of this study was to develop and validate a risk stratification model to categorize lymph nodes deemed negative by EBUS-TBNA into "low-risk" and "high-risk" groups, where "risk" refers to the risk of false negative sampling.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database at a UK tertiary EBUS-TBNA centre was performed. Only patients with primary lung cancer and only negative lymph nodes by EBUS-TBNA were included in the analysis. A risk stratification model was built from a derivation set using independent predictors of malignancy and the validation set used to evaluate the constructed model. The study period was from March 2010 to August 2013.

RESULTS

Three hundred twenty-nine lymph nodes were included in the analysis (derivation set n = 196, validation set n = 133). Lymph node standardized uptake value, the standardized uptake value ratio between the lymph node and primary tumor, and heterogeneous echogenicity during sonographic assessment were the only independent predictors of malignancy. Using a simplified scoring system based on the natural logs of the odds ratios from the multivariable analysis on the derivation sample, lymph nodes can be stratified into low risk (score ≤1) and high risk (score ≥2). One hundred forty-one of 142 and 94 of 96 lymph nodes classified as low risk in the derivation and validation set, respectively, were ultimately proven to be benign and 35 of 54 and 24 of 37 lymph nodes classified as high risk were proven malignant. The negative predictive value of the risk stratification model for the derivation set and validation set was 99.3% (95% confidence interval 96.1%-99.6%) and 97.9% (95% confidence interval 92%-99.6%), respectively.

CONCLUSION

This risk stratification model may assist lung cancer multidisciplinary teams in deciding which patients need further staging procedures and which may proceed directly to treatment after a negative EBUS.

Impact of EBUS-TBNA on modalities for tissue acquisition in patients with lung cancer

BACKGROUND

The impact of the introduction of Endobronchial ultrasound with real-time guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) on the use of diagnostic modalities for tissue acquisition in patients with lung cancer is unknown.

METHODS

A retrospective review of 328 consecutive patients diagnosed with lung cancer at a university teaching hospital, where they first presented in London in 2007, 2009 and 2011. EBUS was introduced in 2008.

RESULTS

In total, 316 patients were included in the analysis. Comparing 2007 with 2011 data, there has been a significant reduction in standard bronchoscopy (P < 0.0001) and mediastinoscopy (P = 0.02). The proportion of cases diagnosed by EBUS-TBNA significantly increased from 0% in 2007 to 26.7% in 2009 and 25.4% in 2011 (P < 0.0001). In the same period there has also been an increased trend in the proportion of patients going directly to surgery without pathological confirmation with a 9.6% increase in diagnoses obtained at thoracotomy (P = 0.0526).

CONCLUSION

The use of diagnostic modalities that provide information on diagnosis and staging in a single intervention are increasing. At our hospital, the use of EBUS-TBNA for providing a lung cancer diagnosis is increasing and this has led to a significant reduction in standard bronchoscopies and mediastinoscopies. These changes in practice may have implications for future service provision, training and commissioning.

Simultaneous functional photoacoustic and ultrasonic endoscopy of internal organs in vivo

At present, clinicians routinely apply ultrasound endoscopy in a variety of interventional procedures that provide treatment solutions for diseased organs. Ultrasound endoscopy not only produces high-resolution images, but also is safe for clinical use and broadly applicable. However, for soft tissue imaging, its mechanical wave-based image contrast fundamentally limits its ability to provide physiologically specific functional information. By contrast, photoacoustic endoscopy possesses a unique combination of functional optical contrast and high spatial resolution at clinically relevant depths, ideal for imaging soft tissues. With these attributes, photoacoustic endoscopy can overcome the current limitations of ultrasound endoscopy. Moreover, the benefits of photoacoustic imaging do not come at the expense of existing ultrasound functions; photoacoustic endoscopy systems are inherently compatible with ultrasound imaging, thereby enabling multimodality imaging with complementary contrast. Here we present simultaneous photoacoustic and ultrasonic dual-mode endoscopy and show its ability to image internal organs in vivo, thus illustrating its potential clinical application.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration prevents mediastinoscopies in the diagnosis of isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy: a prospective trial

RATIONALE

Patients with isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy (IML) are a common presentation to physicians, and mediastinoscopy is traditionally considered the "gold standard" investigation when a pathological diagnosis is required. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is established as an alternative to mediastinoscopy in patients with lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the efficacy and health care costs of EBUS-TBNA as an alternative initial investigation to mediastinoscopy in patients with isolated IML.

METHODS

Prospective multicenter single-arm clinical trial of 77 consecutive patients with IML from 5 centers between April 2009 and March 2011. All patients underwent EBUS-TBNA. If EBUS-TBNA did not provide a diagnosis, then participants underwent mediastinoscopy.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

EBUS-TBNA prevented 87% of mediastinoscopies (95% confidence interval [CI], 77-94%; P < 0.001) but failed to provide a diagnosis in 10 patients (13%), all of whom underwent mediastinoscopy. The sensitivity and negative predictive value of EBUS-TBNA in patients with IML were 92% (95% CI, 83-95%) and 40% (95% CI, 12-74%), respectively. One patient developed a lower respiratory tract infection after EBUS-TBNA, requiring inpatient admission. The cost of the EBUS-TBNA procedure per patient was £1,382 ($2,190). The mean cost of the EBUS-TBNA strategy was £1,892 ($2,998) per patient, whereas a strategy of mediastinoscopy alone was significantly more costly at £3,228 ($5,115) per patient (P < 0.001). The EBUS-TBNA strategy is less costly than mediastinoscopy if the cost per EBUS-TBNA procedure is less than £2,718 ($4,307) per patient.

CONCLUSIONS

EBUS-TBNA is a safe, highly sensitive, and cost-saving initial investigation in patients with IML. Clinical trial registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00932854).

Suitability of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration specimens for subtyping and genotyping of non-small cell lung cancer: a multicenter study of 774 patients

RATIONALE

The current management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) requires differentiation between squamous and nonsquamous subtypes as well as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is increasingly used for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. However, it is unclear whether cytology specimens obtained with EBUS-TBNA are suitable for the subclassification and genotyping of NSCLC.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether cytology specimens obtained from EBUS-TBNA in routine practice are suitable for phenotyping and genotyping of NSCLC.

METHODS

Cytological diagnoses from EBUS-TBNA were recorded from 774 patients with known or suspected lung cancer across five centers in the United Kingdom between 2009 and 2011.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The proportion of patients with a final diagnosis by EBUS-TBNA in whom subtype was classified was 77% (95% confidence interval [CI], 73-80). The rate of NSCLC not otherwise specified (NSCLC-NOS) was significantly reduced in patients who underwent immunohistochemistry (adjusted odds ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.28-0.82; P = 0.016). EGFR mutation analysis was possible in 107 (90%) of the 119 patients in whom mutation analysis was requested. The sensitivity, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBNA in patients with NSCLC were 88% (95% CI, 86-91), 72% (95% CI, 66-77), and 91% (95% CI, 89-93), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This large, multicenter, pragmatic study demonstrates that cytology samples obtained from EBUS-TBNA in routine practice are suitable for subtyping of NSCLC and EGFR mutation analysis and that the use of immunohistochemistry reduces the rate of NSCLC-NOS.

Endoscopic ultrasonography/fine-needle aspiration and endobronchial ultrasonography/fine-needle aspiration for lung cancer staging

This article reviews different techniques available for diagnosis and staging of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The advantages and disadvantages of each staging method are highlighted. The role of the gastroenterologist in NSCLC staging is explored. A new algorithm is proposed for the staging of NSCLC that incorporates endoscopic and endobronchial ultrasonography for mediastinal staging in patients with intrathoracic disease.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration for the diagnosis of intrathoracic lymphadenopathy in patients with extrathoracic malignancy: a multicenter study

INTRODUCTION

Mediastinal lymphadenopathy in patients with an extrathoracic malignancy is a common clinical scenario. Invasive sampling of intrathoracic lymph nodes may be performed by mediastinoscopy or endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is an alternative to mediastinoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound in patients with lung cancer and sarcoidosis. The utility of EBUS-TBNA in patients with extrathoracic malignancy was evaluated.

METHODS

Consecutive patients who were suspected to have intrathoracic lymph node metastases from an extrathoracic malignancy underwent EBUS-TBNA. When EBUS-TBNA did not provide a specific diagnosis, patients underwent mediastinoscopy or clinical follow-up of at least 6 months duration.

RESULTS

One hundred sixty-one patients meeting the inclusion criteria underwent EBUS-TBNA in five UK centers over a 3-year period. EBUS-TBNA diagnosed mediastinal or hilar metastases in 71 (44%) patients, new lung cancer in 20 (12%) patients, and sarcoidosis in 14 (9%) patients. The sensitivity, negative predictive value for malignancy, and overall accuracy for EBUS-TBNA were 87%, 73% and 88%, respectively. One hundred ten (68%) patients in the study had a final diagnosis of malignant intrathoracic lymphadenopathy.

CONCLUSION

Because of the high prevalence of alternative diagnoses, pathological evaluation is important in patients with extrathoracic malignancy and suspected mediastinal or hilar lymph node metastases. EBUS-TBNA is a safe and sensitive technique and may be considered a first-line investigation in these patients.

[Radiology of Ebstein's anomaly. Report of new x-ray signs and review of the literature]

Background

The diagnosis and staging of lung cancer is an important process that identifies treatment options and guides disease prognosis. We aimed to assess endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration as an initial investigation technique for patients with suspected lung cancer.

Methods

In this open-label, multicentre, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial, we recruited patients who had undergone a CT scan and had suspected stage I to IIIA lung cancer, from six UK centres and randomly assigned them to either endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) or conventional diagnosis and staging (CDS), for further investigation and staging. If a target node could not be accessed by EBUS-TBNA, then endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) was allowed as an alternative procedure. Randomisation was stratified according to the presence of mediastinal lymph nodes measuring 1 cm or more in the short axis and by recruiting centre. We used a telephone randomisation method with permuted blocks of four generated by a computer. Because of the nature of the intervention, masking of participants and consenting investigators was not possible. The primary endpoint was the time-to-treatment decision after completion of the diagnostic and staging investigations and analysis was by intention-to-diagnose. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00652769.

Findings

Between June 10, 2008, and July 4, 2011, we randomly allocated 133 patients to treatment: 66 to EBUS-TBNA and 67 to CDS (one later withdrew consent). Two patients from the EBUS-TBNA group underwent EUS-FNA. The median time to treatment decision was shorter with EBUS-TBNA (14 days; 95% CI 14–15) than with CDS (29 days; 23–35) resulting in a hazard ratio of 1·98, (1·39–2·82, p<0·0001). One patient in each group had a pneumothorax from a CT-guided biopsy sample; the patient from the CDS group needed intercostal drainage and was admitted to hospital.

Interpretation

Transbronchial needle aspiration guided by endobronchial ultrasound should be considered as the initial investigation for patients with suspected lung cancer, because it reduces the time to treatment decision compared with conventional diagnosis and staging techniques.

Funding

UK Medical Research Council.