KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using a multimodal navigation platform with ultrasound, CT, and PET data for EBUS bronchoscopy in lung cancer staging.
- Researchers noticed that integrating multimodal navigation enhances the accuracy and effectiveness of EBUS staging.
Patients suspected of having lung cancer typically undergo endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscopy (EBUS) for diagnosis and staging. For those considered potentially curable, EBUS bronchoscopy is meticulously planned using data and images from computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
Arne Kildahl-Andersen and the team evaluate the feasibility of a multimodal electromagnetic navigation platform that integrates intraoperative ultrasound with preoperative segmented CT and PET imaging data.
They performed an inclusive analysis involving patients with suspected lung cancer who had pathological mediastinal or hilar lymph nodes identified on both CT and PET scans. Images from these 2 modalities were segmented to delineate the target lymph nodes and subsequently incorporated into the CustusX navigation platform.
The EBUS bronchoscope, equipped with a calibrated sensor, was affixed to a 3D printed click-on device positioned at the bronchoscope’s tip to enhance navigational precision. Navigation accuracy was measured postoperatively using ultrasound recordings, providing a comprehensive evaluation of the platform’s effectiveness in guiding EBUS procedures.
About 3 patients with suspected mediastinal lymph node metastasis (N1-3) were enrolled in the study. During the EBUS procedures, all PET-positive lymph nodes were successfully displayed in the navigation platform. A total of 5 distinct lymph nodes were sampled, with malignant cells identified in three nodes and lymphocytes in the remaining 2. The median accuracy of the navigation system was measured at 7.7 mm.
The study concluded that the multimodal electromagnetic navigation platform, which integrates intraoperative ultrasound with preoperative segmented CT and PET imaging data, is a feasible and promising approach for improving the accuracy and effectiveness of EBUS lymph node staging examinations.
The study received no specific funding for this work.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39213327/
Kildahl-Andersen A, Hofstad EF, Solberg OV, et al. (2024). “Navigated ultrasound bronchoscopy with integrated positron emission tomography-A human feasibility study.” PLoS One. 2024;19(8):e0305785. Published 2024 Aug 30. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0305785
