TY - JOUR T1 - The efficacy of cytology sampling in the diagnosis of suspected endobronchial lung cancer JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 38 IS - Suppl 55 SP - p1980 AU - Farhana Shora AU - Gulam Haji AU - Haider Ali AU - Frances Bowen Y1 - 2011/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p1980.abstract N2 - Introduction: Fibreoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) is a minimally invasive procedure that is regularly performed on an outpatient basis to aid diagnosis in suspected cases of lung cancer.Objective: To review the usefulness of FOB obtained washings and brushings in the presence of an endobronchial lesion in the diagnosis of lung cancer.Method: Retrospective analysis of 23 suspected lung cancer cases undergoing FOB (by supervised trainees). 16 cases with a visible endobronchial lesion underwent histological and cytological sampling; the remaining 7 had cytological sampling alone.Results: 15 (94%) cases with a visible endobronchial lesion were proven to have a cancer. 7 (47%) cases had positive histology and cytology. 5 (33%) cases had positive histology alone. 3 (20%) cases had positive cytology but negative histology in the context of an endobronchial lesion. All 7 patients without an endobronchial lesion had negative cytology and were subsequently found not to have cancer. Only 1 patient with an endobronchial lesion had both negative histology and cytology, and was proven not to have cancer.Conclusion: From this retrospective analysis we conclude that 20% of lung cancers would have been missed had cytological samples not been taken in addition to endobronchial biopsies. Therefore we suggest that any patient with an endobronchial lesion should have brushings and washings accompanying a biopsy. We cannot deduce from our small study whether, in the absence of a visible endobronchial lesion, brushings and washings are diagnostically valuable. ER -