Endoscopic diagnosis of small anaplastic carcinoma: difficulties and means of determining contour

Small cell carcinoma do not have specific features, because bronchi can present either with a tumoral obstruction (42%) or with an infiltration (41%) or a compression (14%) or normal (3%) pattern. The improvement of the endoscopic technology, the more frequent changes in biopsy forceps, the increasing ways in performing these biopsies are expected to decrease the number of false negative results. But, if were the case, more sophisticated diagnosis tests under fluoroscopy are needed. The transthoracic needle aspiration-biopsy because of its better sensitivity and less fatal complications seems to be preferred to the transbronchial biopsy. Using such approach it can be expected that small cell carcinoma, which chimio sensitivity is known, will be diagnosed accurately.