Bronchoscopy in lung cancer: appraisal of current technology and for the future

Bronchoscopy in the new millennium spells an exciting time for the pulmonologist, which likens to Alice peering through the looking glass into a wonderland of miniaturized probes, optics, and technology that are advancing at a maddening pace. Although scientists continue to push the envelope using nanotechnology that may facilitate further miniaturization of probes to allow imaging at the cellular or molecular level, it is opportune to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of available technologies and bronchoscopic techniques for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer, in its early detection and palliation. We appraise current technologies and what they hold for the future.