EBUS Staging in Lung Cancer

Accurate staging of lung cancer is detrimental for determining prognosis and guiding therapy. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has emerged as a minimally invasive, highly accurate, and cost-effective modality for mediastinal staging. This chapter focuses on the role of EBUS in lung cancer staging, detailing its technical, diagnostic, and clinical aspects. The chapter also outlines key procedural consideration including lymph node classification, node selection for biopsy and strategy for comprehensive staging.Lung cancer is a significant cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) depends on the stage. For early stages, treatment is intended as curative with surgical resection and adjuvant therapy. But in advanced stages, it is mainly palliative with a combination of chemoradiation. Therefore, accurately staging the mediastinal lymph nodes before surgery is crucial, as it is not only necessary for providing the correct treatment but also for avoiding unnecessary and invasive procedures like thoracotomy.