Needle biopsy
Needle biopsy is a helpful procedure when tumors are not accessible to sampling by bronchoscopy and present in peripheral areas of the lungs. Most often done with radiological imaging for guidance. In this procedure, a thin needle used to insert into the abnormal area of the lung, and before insertion, patients are given local anesthesia. Cells collected by needle examined under the microscope for the presence of cancerous cells. This procedure is usually accurate if the correct area examined for sampling, but sometimes unaffected or wrong areas can also be sampled accidentally.