Rentabilidad diagnóstica de la broncoscopia en la enfermedad neoplásica en la Unidad de Fibrobroncoscopias del Hospital General Universitario de Albacete

Background

Lung cancer is the second leading cause of mortality after cardiovascular diseases. Bronchogenic carcinoma has a fundamental underlying cause, that is, tobacco. The bronchoscopy is required for lung cancer diagnosis and staging and will help us to estimate prognosis and determine the therapeutic approach to follow. In this study, the yield of the various techniques of bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of lung cancer has been analyzed.

Methods

Previous comorbidity, smoking habit, the different bronchoscopic techniques the subject underwent and the patient's TNM stage at the time of diagnosis were analyzed in 181 patients who underwent bronchoscopy and whose final diagnosis was neoplasm. The performance of our techniques in relation to other studies in the literature was also evaluated.

Results

A total of 86.2% of patients had a history of smoking, 49.2%, diagnosis of Chronic obstruction pulmonary disease and 18.9% had had another previous malignancy. The endoscopic examination showed endobronchial lesion in 58% of patients. BAS was positive in 53.6% of procedures performed, bronchial biopsy 81.9%, transbronchial biopsy in 71.8% (in association with positive fluoroscopy in 81% and without fluoroscopy in 61% of cases) and positive transbronchial needle aspiration in 64.3% (with pathologist present the diagnostic yield amounted to 72.7%).

Conclusions

The yield of bronchoscopic techniques used in our environment is similar to that found in other major studies conducted to date.