Endobronchial treatment of peripheral tumors: ongoing development and perspectives

The expanded possibilities to explore the lung deeper with new tools such as electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) or radial probe endobronchial ultrasonography (radial EBUS), combined with miniaturization of traditional local therapies such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA), radiotherapy, cryotherapy or photodynamic therapy, let the bronchoscopists hope for new ways of endoscopic treatments. This challenge could change the practice in the upcoming decades but raise some physical and technical issues. Safety and efficacy need to be solidly established to face the serious concurrence of stereotactic radiotherapy (SBRT) or percutaneous RFA. Here we describe ongoing development and perspectives for endobronchial treatment of peripheral lung tumors.