Safety of Lung Cryobiopsy in People With Cancer

Safety of Transbronchial Cryobiopsy in a Cancer Population

The purpose of this study is to find out whether a biopsy technique called transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) is a safe alternative to the standard biopsy procedure (transbronchial forceps biopsy; TBFB). The study researchers think that TBCB may provide better biopsy samples to help diagnose lung disease.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years of age or greater
• Patients with known or suspected diagnosis of cancer and indeterminant pulmonary nodules or diffuse parenchymal lung disease with non-diagnostic clinical profiles for whom a lung biopsy is deemed useful for diagnosis.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with pulse oximetry less than 92% on oxygen delivery up to 2 L nasal cannula.

• Uncorrectable coagulopathy defined as:

  • Platelet count <50,000 x 10^9/L or
  • prothrombin time international normalized ratio >1.5

• Known pulmonary hypertension or echocardiographic pulmonary artery systolic pressure >50mmHg

• A secure diagnosis based on clinical and high-resolution CT scan data.

• Antiplatelet therapy that cannot be held for more than 5 days.

• Any patient deemed unfit to undergo bronchoscopy by the proceduralist

• Female patients with a positive pregnancy test within 30 days of the planned study procedure