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Background: 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. Objectives: We evaluated the efficacy of AFI in the diagnosis of precancerous and cancerous lesions. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: AFI is an effective system for the detection of precancerous and cancerous lesions.

Brachytherapy has a potential to be a method to treat peripheral T1 N0 M0 NSCLC.