Combined EBUS and EUS staging in high-risk patients: measure twice, cut once – or not at all

Increasing adoption of PET/CT has placed the onus on thoracic surgeons to better familiarize themselves with its limitations. At its best, it offers a comprehensive, non-invasive approach to stage the patient. Yet there are many situations where PET/CT can lead us astray, prompting the need for more intensive evaluation. In this issue of the Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hegde and colleagues1 take this challenge head-on: how well do our more invasive, non-surgical staging techniques catch high-risk patients with occult disease missed by PET/CT? The authors focused in particular on a combined endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) approach for more complete access to the mediastinum and beyond, adding to a growing body of literature assessing the benefits of such a ‘double-lumen’ approach.
Source: Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: THORACIC – Editorial Commentary Source Type: research