Restaging by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in patients with inoperable advanced lung cancer

Abstract

We present two cases of inoperable advanced lung cancer in which the main lesions were mediastinal lymph nodes detected with positive positron emission tomography (PET). Drug therapy was very effective, and post-treatment PET results were negative. Restaging by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) was performed on the mediastinal lymph nodes with a short axis≤10 mm measured by computed tomography (CT). Cancer cells were detected, which helped determine the therapeutic strategy. Re-evaluation of mediastinal lymph nodes using EBUS-TBNA appears to be useful, even among patients with inoperable advanced lung cancer. © 2010 The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine.