Thoracic Surgery Technology at BMC
Minimally invasive method for staging lung cancer (EBUS)
The Center for Thoracic Oncology at BMC is now offering a new, minimally invasive method for the staging of lung cancer. Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) combines the benefits of standard white-light flexible bronchoscopy with ultrasound imaging. With this device, a surgeon can sample mediastinal lymph nodes or peribronchial tumors using ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration.
Prior to the introduction of EBUS, accessing the majority of these lymph nodes involved a surgical mediastinoscopy or penetrating the chest itself. EBUS allows appropriate preoperative staging of lung cancer, which is the number one cause of cancer death in both men and women, and accounts for 29 percent of all cancer deaths combined.
"Accurate staging of the lymph nodes is absolutely critical to determine the appropriate treatment of lung cancer patients," said Michael Ebright, MD, a thoracic surgeon at BMC, and assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at BUSM. "Radiologic staging alone with CT and PET is often inadequate and, in many cases, may lead to dangerous undertreatment or overtreatment."
According to Dr. Ebright, BMC is uniquely suited to provide the most comprehensive and efficient workup of lung cancer patients because it offers EBUS, as well as esophageal endoscopic ultrasound, standard cervical mediastinoscopy, and video-assisted lymph node dissection.
EBUS may obviate the need for many patients to undergo a more invasive procedure. In addition, lymph nodes formerly beyond the scope of mediastinoscopy are now accessible with EBUS.
"The addition of endobronchial ultrasound to our armamentarium represents Boston Medical Center's commitment to achieving the highest standard of multidisciplinary cancer care available," said Dr. Ebright.
For more information, or to make an appointment with Dr. Ebright, at the BMC or the Plymouth office at 116 Court Street, call (617) 638-5600, or email him at michael.ebright@bmc.org.
