Bronchoscopic Therapies for Peripheral Lung Malignancies

Current advances in guided bronchoscopy methods permit minimally invasive access to essentially any area of the lungs. This provides a potential means to treat patients with localized lung malignancies who might not otherwise tolerate conventional treatment, which commonly relies on surgical resection. Ablation methods have long been used for bronchoscopic treatment of central airway malignancies and percutaneous treatment of peripheral lung cancer. This article reviews ablation technologies being adapted for use with guided bronchoscopy and the current state of investigation for the treatment of peripheral lung malignancies.