Transbronchial cryobiopsy for diffuse parenchymal lung disease: a state-of-the-art review of procedural techniques, current evidence, and future challenges

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.

Immunological Aspects of Cryoablation of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Comprehensive Review

In cryoimmunotherapy, target tumors are treated with cryoablation to generate antitumor immune responses. Because immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated that lung cancer can be an immunotherapy-responsive disease, there has been renewed interest in the immunological aspects of cryoablation of lung cancer. Herein, we review preclinical and clinical trials of cryoablation of primary lung tumors. We examine the magnitude of cryoablation-induced antitumor immune responses and the synergy between cryoablation and either other immunotherapies or molecular targeted therapies to improve treatment responses in advanced lung cancer. We further discuss a rationale for the addition of cryoablation to immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of advanced lung cancer, which is currently under clinical investigation.