Clinical Experience with Autofluorescence Imaging System in Patients with Lung Cancers and Precancerous Lesions

Abstract

It is important to detect preinvasive bronchial lesions before they become invasive cancer, because detection of early cancer is expected to lead to a cure. Autofluorescence bronchoscopy is a useful device in the detection of preinvasive and cancerous lesions. Recently, a new autofluorescence bronchoscopic system, autofluorescence imaging (AFI) system, has been developed. We evaluated the efficacy of AFI in the diagnosis of precancerous and cancerous lesions. A total of 31 patients underwent both conventional white-light bronchoscopy (WLB) and AFI from January 2002 to September 2004. We evaluated autofluorescence findings using a four-point scale: AFI-I, II, III, and B. The findings in WLB were evaluated on a three-point scale: WLB-I, II, and III. Abnormal areas by WLB and AFI were biopsied for histopathological examinations. A total of 64 lesions were evaluated. When the AFI-III finding was regarded as positive in AFI and WLB-III as positive in WLB, sensitivity for severe dysplasia or worse was 94.7% with AFI and 73.7% with WLB, respectively. AFI is an effective system for the detection of precancerous and cancerous lesions.