The staging of lung cancer by bronchoscopic transbronchial needle aspiration.

The development of flexible transbronchial needles for hilar and mediastinal aspiration had made possible noninvasive staging at the time of the initial diagnostic bronchoscopic examination. Combining the specificity of TBNA with the sensitivity of thoracic CT scanning greatly enhances the utility of this procedure. A bronchoscopically oriented staging system that utilizes the complementary advantages of both of these techniques is outlined. The staging of bronchogenic carcinoma by TBNA is a safe and cost-effective technique that can be routinely utilized to stage lung cancer. Ultimately, its value will depend upon whether the initial encouraging reports of its use can be reproduced by bronchoscopists in practice.