Bronchoscopy biopsy
What is a bronchoscopy biopsy?
A biopsy is when doctors remove a small piece of tissue or a sample of cells from an area of the body. This is then checked under a microscope for cancer cells.
You usually have a biopsy to find out for certain if you have lung cancer.
There are different ways of doing a biopsy. Your cancer doctor or nurse will talk to you about the type of biopsy you will have.
You might have a biopsy done during a procedure called a bronchoscopy. A doctor or nurse uses a thin, flexible tube called a bronchoscope to look inside your airways and lungs. The tube has a tiny camera on the end. The camera shows a picture of the area on a screen. They can take samples of cells (biopsies) from your lung or airways using the bronchoscope.
Preparing for a bronchoscopy
Before the test, you should not eat or drink anything for a few hours.
The nurse or doctor gives you a sedative to help you relax. They also spray a local anaesthetic onto the back of your throat to numb it. After this, they pass the bronchoscope through your nose or mouth and down into your windpipe (trachea).
What happens after a bronchoscopy?
A bronchoscopy usually takes up to 30 minutes. Afterwards, you should not eat or drink for at least 1 hour. You can go home as soon as the sedation has worn off.
You cannot drive for 24 hours after the sedation. You may have a sore throat for a couple of days.
Support for a bronchoscopy
It is normal to feel anxious before having a test. You might be worried about having the test and what the test result might mean. Talking to family and friends about how you feel may help. You can also:
- Call the Macmillan Support Line for free on 0808 808 00 00.
- Chat to our specialists online.
- Visit our lung cancer forum to talk to people who have been affected by lung cancer, share your experience, and ask an expert your questions.
Related pages
About our information
This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer.
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References
Below is a sample of the sources used in our lung cancer information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at informationproductionteam@macmillan.org.uk
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Lung cancer – Diagnosis and management. Clinical guideline 2019. Last updated 2023. (accessed Nov 2023) Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng122
European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). Small-cell lung cancer: ESMO clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. 2021. (accessed Nov 2023). Available at: https://www.esmo.org/guidelines/guidelines-by-topic/esmo-clinical-practice-guidelines-lung-and-chest-tumours/small-cell-lung-cancer
European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). Early and locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC): ESMO clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. 2017. eUpdate 01 September 2021: New Locally Advanced NSCLC Treatment Recommendations (accessed Nov 2023) Available at: https://www.esmo.org/guidelines/esmo-clinical-practice-guideline-early-stage-and-locally-advanced-non-small-cell-lung-cancer
European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). ESMO expert consensus statements on the management of EGFR mutant non-small-cell lung cancer. 2022 (accessed Nov 2023). Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35176458/
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