Table 2.

Advantages and disadvantages of commonly used biopsy procedures for lung cancer

	Advantages	Disadvantages
FBS	High diagnostic yield for central and endobronchial lesion	Low diagnostic yield for non-endobronchial lesion and peripheral lesion
EBUS-TBNA	Acquisition of real-time ultrasound images	Limitation in evaluationg peripheral lung lesion and other L/N
	Accessibility to central lung lesion and some L/N (located in mediastinal, paratracheal, subcarinal, hilar, and interlobar area)
	Collection of cell and some lung tissue
EBUS-GS	Acquisition of real-time ultrasound images	Requirement of professional training
	Improved accessibility to more peripheral lesion	Expensivenss
	Collection of cell and some lung tissue
Navigation bronchoscopy	Acquisition of reconstructed and a virtual road map to target	Requirement of navigation program
	Improved accessibility to more peripheral lesion	Expensiveness
	Collection of cell and some lung tissue
CT-NAB	High diagnostic yield for peripheral lung lesion (diameter > 2 cm)	Need of patient's cooperation (Keep posture and holding breath)
	Collection of cell and some lung tissue
Gun biopsy	High diagnostic yield using core-biopsy needles Collection of relatively sufficient lung tissue	Need of patient's cooperation (Keep posture and holding breath)
		Relatively prevalent complication: pneumothorax and pulmonary hemorrhage

FBS, fiberoptic bronchoscopy; EBUS-TBNA, endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration; L/N, lymph node; EBUS-GS, endobronchial ultrasound using a guide; CT-NAB, needle aspiration biopsy with CT guidance.