Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is the standard minimally invasive modality for mediastinal staging in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As the TNM classification continues to evolve with refined prognostic stratification of N2 substages, the demand for accurate mediastinal evaluation has become increasingly critical. Beyond conventional staging, recent advances have substantially expanded the clinical scope of EBUS-TBNA. This review examines six key areas of development: (1) evidence supporting systematic over targeted mediastinal sampling and the potential omission of confirmatory mediastinoscopy after negative EBUS-TBNA; (2) the role of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in accessing paraesophageal and inferior mediastinal stations; (3) expanded procedural capabilities with third generation thin scope EBUS; (4) novel tissue acquisition devices including the 19-gauge needle, mini forceps, and mediastinal cryobiopsy; (5) tissue adequacy considerations for next-generation sequencing (NGS); and (6) image-based adjunctive tools such as elastography and artificial intelligence-driven sonographic analysis. Together, these developments highlight the increasing role of EBUS-TBNA as a comprehensive diagnostic platform in thoracic oncology, extending its utility from mediastinal staging to peripheral lesion access, molecular profiling, and image-guided decision support.
Kyungjong Lee (Tue,) studied this question.