Newsletter May 2026

Honouring the Cornerstones, Embracing Innovation

Rigid bronchoscopy: a cornerstone of interventional pulmonology, fully integrated into modern multidisciplinary care.

Dr. Imane Saidi

Interventional Pulmonologist & Clinical Research Fellow

UM6P Hospital & Faculty of Medical Sciences, Ben Guerir, Morocco

Dr. Imane Saidi is an interventional pulmonologist and clinical research fellow at UM6P Hospital and the Faculty of Medical Sciences of UM6P (Ben Guerir, Morocco), with expertise in lung cancer early screening, diagnosis, and therapeutic management.

She holds a Second Level Master in Bronchoscopy and Interventional Pulmonology from the University of Florence (UNIFI, 2025), completed clinical fellowships at the Policlinico Sant’Orsola-Malpighi (Bologna, Italy) and Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (Oviedo, Spain), and trained as a resident at CHU Mohammed VI in Marrakech.

Her work focuses on advancing thoracic oncology and interdisciplinary collaboration, with peer-reviewed publications in journals such as Archivos de Bronconeumología and Respiratory Medicine.

Welcome to Dr. Saidi as the new EABIP Regent for Morocco.

📖 Paper Highlight

Endoscopic Ablation for Malignant Lung Lesions: Current Techniques, Unmet Needs, and Future Directions

A comprehensive review of current literature. Although surgical resection and stereotactic body radiation therapy are standard treatment options for early-stage disease, both are limited by procedural morbidity and ineligibility among high-risk patients. Similarly, percutaneous image-guided ablation is associated with pneumothorax and pleural injury. Advances in navigation, imaging, and device design have enabled endoscopic ablation to emerge as a minimally invasive technique capable of targeting peripheral and central lesions under real-time image guidance.

📖 Paper Highlight

Predictive Factors of Clinical Success of Therapeutic Bronchoscopy in Malignant Central Airway Obstruction: Results from the EpiGETIF Registry

A total of 496 patients from 24 centers met inclusion criteria. The mean preprocedural Borg score was 6.5 ± 2.0 versus 2.2 ± 1.7 postprocedural (mean difference 4.3 ± 2.3). Overall, 302 patients (60.9%) were considered super responders. The only factor associated with super responders in multivariate analysis was a higher baseline Borg score. The only factor associated with non-super responders was a poor performance status and mechanical ventilation.

A Tracheal Lipoma Misdiagnosed as COPD

Assoc. Prof. Efsun Gonca Uğur Chousein University of Health Sciences Turkiye, Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

Fig. 1 — Thoracic CT, intraluminal tracheal lesion with significant airway narrowing.

Fig. 2 — Pedunculated endotracheal lesion almost obliterating the lumen.

Case presentation

A 68-year-old man with a substantial smoking history was referred for evaluation of progressively worsening dyspnea despite multiple bronchodilator regimens administered over the preceding year under a presumptive diagnosis of COPD. Thoracic CT demonstrated a well-defined intraluminal mass within the trachea causing significant airway narrowing. Rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia was planned to allow direct airway assessment, secure airway control, and obtain tissue for histopathological diagnosis.

Procedure

On rigid bronchoscopy, a pedunculated endotracheal lesion was visualized arising from the left lateral wall of the trachea, obstructing a substantial portion of the lumen. Mechanical debulking was initiated using snare electrocautery to transect the lesion at its pedunculated base. The detached mass migrated distally and was successfully retrieved en bloc using a cryoprobe, leveraging its adhesive extraction capability. Residual tissue at the implantation site was treated with argon plasma coagulation (APC) followed by adjunctive cryotherapy to achieve optimal local control and minimize the risk of recurrence.

Fig. 3 — Snare electrocautery resection.

Fig. 4 — Cryoprobe retrieval of the detached lesion.

Fig. 5 — Final bronchoscopic appearance, restored tracheal lumen patency.

Final diagnosis

Tracheal Lipoma.

Bronchoscopic Recanalisation Combined with Tarlatamab in Relapsed SCLC

Dr. Gani Oruqaj, MD, PhD UGMLC, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany

Multimodal imaging and bronchoscopy. Top row (10 to 11 March 2026): baseline chest X-ray and CT showing a centrally located mass with significant endobronchial involvement and obstruction of the main bronchial lumen. Middle row (11 March 2026): high-grade endobronchial tumor with near-complete luminal obstruction; endobronchial recanalisation restores partial airway patency. Bottom row (09 April 2026, 4-week follow-up after recanalisation and initiation of Tarlatamab): improved aeration and sustained airway patency with marked reduction of endobronchial tumor burden.

Patient summary

A 65-year-old woman was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) of the right lung in February 2021 after persistent dry cough led to diagnostic bronchoscopy. There were no distant metastases at diagnosis. She received first-line cisplatin and etoposide followed by radiochemotherapy, achieving an initial regression. Over the subsequent years she experienced multiple episodes of local recurrence; several lines of systemic therapy were administered, including re-treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy and later topotecan, with partial responses and intermittent stabilization. In 2024, stereotactic radiotherapy provided temporary regression. By early 2026 the patient developed clinically significant tumor progression with dyspnea and cough caused by obstruction of the right main bronchus.

Bronchoscopic intervention

In March 2026, bronchoscopic recanalisation of the right main bronchus was performed using cryoprobe and APC, leading to significant symptomatic improvement in dyspnea and overall functional status. Beyond immediate symptom relief, recanalisation of the tumor-bearing airway may enhance the effectiveness of subsequent systemic therapies by improving drug delivery, reducing hypoxia, and restoring functional lung capacity.

Subsequent oncologic therapy

Following the intervention, treatment was continued with Tarlatamab, a bispecific T-cell engager immunotherapy targeting delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) and CD3, a promising antitumor strategy in relapsed SCLC.

🎥 Procedure videos

Video 1. Recanalisation, day 1.

Video 2. 4-week follow-up after recanalisation and initiation of Tarlatamab.