Ultrasound-guided biopsy is an effective method for obtaining tissue from peripheral lung lesions, pleura, or metastatic nodes, allowing accurate lung cancer diagnosis. Both radiologists and pulmonologists can perform the procedure, which has a high diagnostic yield.
Two main techniques are used: fine-needle aspiration and core biopsy. A study by researchers at Alexandria University found overall diagnostic success at 95.4%, with fine-needle aspiration achieving 92.7% and core biopsy 93.6%. While either method alone is effective, combining both improves tissue adequacy for molecular testing, increasing next-generation sequencing success from 66.7% to 76.5%.
These findings confirm that ultrasound-guided biopsy is a reliable alternative to endobronchial approaches. Using both sampling techniques together when feasible may enhance diagnostic and molecular profiling outcomes. Future prospective studies with standardized protocols are recommended to optimize the approach further.