Dr. Bechara on Minimally Invasive Bronchoscopic Approaches in Lung Cancer

Rabih I. Bechara, MD, FCCP, director, Pulmonary Research; co-director, Advanced Endoscopy; director, Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship Program, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, discusses how minimally invasive bronchoscopic approaches are utilized in lung cancer.

Minimally invasive bronchoscopic methods provide patients with a less intrusive option that harnesses advanced visual and navigational technology to assist in the diagnosis of lung cancer, Bechara says. These approaches can be utilized to treat lung lesions in certain patients, Bechara adds. 

Lung lesions can be accessed and targeted within airways, or on the periphery of the lung tissue, through minimally invasive bronchoscopies, Bechara explains. The low invasiveness of the process allows patients to return home shortly after the procedure, and the specific nature of these methods also allow patients to undergo tailored procedures, Bechara adds.

These methods can be applied across medical disciplines, and provide favorable outcomes with acceptable safety, Bechara concludes.