Evaluation of Endobronchial Ultrasound Needle Cleaning Techniques and Their Impact on Specimen Contamination

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Lung Cancer (Locally Advanced or Metastatic)

In brief

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) bronchoscopy is commonly used to sample lymph nodes in patients with suspected or known lung cancer to determine the stage of the disease. Accurate staging is essential as it directly impacts treatment decisions and prognosis. During EBUS procedures, needles are often reused across multiple lymph node stations and are typically flushed with saline between samples. This raises the concern that residual tumor cells may contaminate the samples and could potentially incorrectly upstage disease. This prospective study will evaluate the current technique used during EBUS procedures to determine if more intensive cleaning leads to reduced cellular contamination without affecting diagnostics. Patients undergoing an EBUS procedure for diagnosis with a large mass and a high probability of malignancy will be selected for the study. Rapid On-Site Examination (ROSE) will be used at the bedside to determine the presence of abnormal cells. Following the final pass, before moving to the next station, the needle will be flushed with saline as normal and then flushed again into another container to evaluate the presence of residual cells. The outcome may help EBUS needle handling practices and improve lung cancer staging accuracy. No additional invasive procedures are performed as part of this study; all analyses utilize material obtained during routine EBUS needle flushing, with no added needle sticks or alteration of clinical care.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07461662

Run by

University of Mississippi Medical Center

People needed

204

Starts

2026-04-01

Expected to finish

2027-08-31

Last updated by the study team

2026-03-10

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Adults aged 18 years or older
• Patients undergoing standard-of-care EBUS bronchoscopy for evaluation of suspected lung malignancy
• Patients undergoing sampling of 2 or more lymph node stations during EBUS bronchoscopy
• Ability to provide informed consent

You may not qualify if…

• Age less than 18
• Recent (1 month or less) radiation or procedural manipulation of lymph node stations that may significantly change lymph node architecture

Where it is running

• University of Mississippi Medical Center — Jackson, Mississippi, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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