What Can a Bronchoscopy Find That a Chest CT Cannot? Washings, Brushings and Biopsies

The radiology report used the word “opacity.” Then it used “cannot exclude.” Marianne read it three times on her phone in the parking garage, and by the time she reached the third line she had already searched what can a bronchoscopy detect, because that was the test her pulmonologist had just ordered as the next step.

Her question is the one almost everyone asks at this point. The CT scan already found something. Why does anyone need to go in with a camera? The honest answer is that a scan and a scope are answering two different questions. The CT tells the team where something is and roughly what shape it takes. The bronchoscope lets them look at it, touch it and bring a piece of it back to the laboratory.

This explainer walks through what that camera can and cannot see, what washings, brushings and biopsies each contribute, what the day feels like, how long results take, and which signs afterward should prompt a phone call.

What can a bronchoscopy detect that a CT scan only hints at?

A chest CT is a map. A bronchoscopy is a visit. That distinction explains nearly everything about why both tests exist.

Computed tomography, or CT, builds a three-dimensional picture of the chest from X-ray slices. It is remarkably good at spotting nodules a few millimeters wide, at showing whether lymph nodes in the center of the chest look enlarged, and at revealing patterns such as scarring or fluid. What it cannot do is tell the team what a shadow is made of. A round spot might be an old healed infection, a cluster of inflammatory cells, a benign growth or a cancer. On the screen these can look alike.

A bronchoscopy, in plain terms, is a procedure in which a thin flexible tube with a light and camera (a bronchoscope) is passed through the nose or mouth into the windpipe and its branches. The camera sees the lining of the airways in color and in real time. According to MedlinePlus, the test is used to look for the cause of bleeding, a persistent cough or an abnormal scan, and to take samples of tissue or fluid.

That sampling is the real advantage. The scope can detect:

• Subtle changes in the airway lining, such as redness, swelling, narrowing or a small growth, that are below the resolution of CT or simply do not change the airway’s shape.
• Organisms causing infection, recovered from washings sent for culture.
• Abnormal cells, collected by brushing the surface.
• The actual tissue type of a mass or of enlarged lymph nodes, through biopsy.
• Foreign material, mucus plugs or blood that a scan may show only as a vague blockage.

So when someone asks what can a bronchoscopy detect, the shortest answer is: the diagnosis, rather than the suspicion.

How does a bronchoscopy actually work?

Picture the airways as an upside-down tree. The trunk is the trachea, the windpipe. It splits into two main bronchi, one for each lung, and those keep dividing into smaller and smaller branches until they end in the tiny air sacs where oxygen crosses into the blood.

The bronchoscope travels down that trunk and into the larger branches. Most modern scopes are flexible, roughly the width of a pencil, and steerable from a handle the pulmonologist controls. A working channel runs through the center. Through it the doctor can squirt saline, pass a tiny brush, or thread biopsy forceps, all while watching the picture on a monitor.

Before the scope goes in, the throat and voice box are numbed with a local anesthetic spray, and most people receive sedation through a vein so they are relaxed and drowsy. Mayo Clinic describes the procedure itself as usually taking about 30 to 60 minutes, with additional time before and after for preparation and recovery. Some bronchoscopies are done under general anesthesia, especially if a rigid scope is used or a longer procedure is planned; that decision belongs to the treating team.

A few points of mechanism matter for understanding results:

• The camera sees surfaces. It cannot see inside the lung tissue itself, only the lining of the airways it can reach.
• The scope reaches the central and mid-sized airways. Very small peripheral branches are beyond it, which is why a nodule near the edge of the lung may need image guidance or a different approach.
• Ultrasound can be built into the scope tip (endobronchial ultrasound, or EBUS). This lets the doctor see through the airway wall to lymph nodes and vessels next to it, then guide a needle into a node without cutting.

Each of these limits and extensions shapes which samples are taken and what they can show.

Washings, brushings and biopsies: what each sample can show

Three words appear again and again in bronchoscopy reports, and they are not interchangeable.

Washings are the simplest. A small amount of sterile salt water is flushed into an airway and then sucked back into a trap. The returned fluid carries whatever was loosely sitting on the surface: cells, mucus, bacteria, fungi or viruses. It is sent for culture, meaning the laboratory tries to grow any organisms present, and for cytology, meaning a pathologist looks at the individual cells under a microscope. A deeper version, called bronchoalveolar lavage or BAL, sends the saline farther into the small airways and air sacs and is particularly useful when the question is infection or inflammation spread through the lung rather than a single lump.

Brushings use a tiny bristled brush passed through the scope and rubbed against a suspicious area of lining. The brush scrapes off a layer of cells, which are smeared onto slides. Brushings give a richer cell sample than washings from a specific spot, but they still deliver cells, not intact tissue.

Biopsies remove an actual fragment of tissue. Forceps can take a piece of an airway growth directly (endobronchial biopsy) or be guided through the airway wall into the lung tissue beyond (transbronchial biopsy). A needle can sample a lymph node under ultrasound guidance. Only tissue lets a pathologist see how cells are arranged, whether they are invading normal structures, and, for cancer, what subtype and molecular features are present.

Why take all three? Because each catches different things. A washing may grow tuberculosis when a biopsy misses it. A biopsy may confirm a tumor when brushings show only “atypical cells.” Sending several sample types from one procedure raises the chance of a clear answer without a second trip.

Can you see lung cancer on a bronchoscopy?

Sometimes, yes, directly. When a tumor grows into or presses on a larger airway, the camera shows it: a lump, an area of irregular, fragile lining, or a narrowed passage. In that situation the pulmonologist can biopsy it on the spot.

Often, though, the answer is more nuanced, and it helps to understand why. Many lung cancers begin in the outer parts of the lung, well beyond where a standard scope can travel. The CT may show a nodule clearly while the airways nearby look entirely normal through the camera. For those cases the team may use ultrasound, navigation software that maps a path through the branches, or X-ray guidance during the procedure to steer a needle or forceps toward the target. In some situations a needle biopsy through the chest wall, done by a radiologist, or a surgical biopsy is the better route. The NHS notes that bronchoscopy is one of several tests used after an abnormal scan to confirm a diagnosis of lung cancer, alongside CT-guided biopsy and other approaches.

Bronchoscopy also answers a second question that matters as much as the first: has anything spread to the lymph nodes in the center of the chest? Ultrasound-guided needle sampling of those nodes helps determine the stage of a cancer, which shapes every treatment discussion that follows.

A few honest caveats:

• A normal-looking airway does not rule out cancer elsewhere in the lung.
• A biopsy that returns “no cancer” may reflect a sample that missed the target rather than the absence of disease. The team will weigh that result against the scan appearance.
• “Atypical” or “suspicious” cells on brushings mean more information is needed, not that a diagnosis has been made.

Whether the result is reassuring or not, the interpretation always sits with the treating team, who read the pathology alongside the images and the person’s history.

What infections can a bronchoscopy detect? The bronchial washing test explained

Infection is the other great reason to go in with a scope. When someone has pneumonia that is not responding as expected, a persistent cough with fever, or a weakened immune system and a new shadow on CT, the question shifts from “is this cancer” to “which organism is this.”

Coughed-up sputum is the first-line sample, but it is often contaminated by bacteria from the mouth, and some people cannot produce a useful specimen. A bronchial washing test, collected directly from the affected airway, bypasses the mouth and delivers fluid from the actual site of trouble.

The laboratory can look for a wide range of causes in that fluid:

• Common bacteria, grown in culture and tested for which antibiotics they respond to.
• Tuberculosis, through special stains and cultures. The CDC notes that laboratory confirmation of tuberculosis relies on finding the bacteria in respiratory specimens, and bronchoscopy samples are one option when sputum is unhelpful.
• Fungi, which matter especially in people receiving chemotherapy or after transplant.
• Viruses and unusual organisms, detected by molecular tests that identify genetic material.
• Cells that suggest a non-infectious cause masquerading as pneumonia, such as an inflammatory reaction to a medicine.

A deeper bronchoalveolar lavage adds another layer. Counting the types of white blood cells in the returned fluid can point toward conditions such as sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that forms small clusters of cells in the lungs, or certain drug reactions, even when no organism grows.

The practical upshot is that a washing can change treatment in a very direct way: it can confirm that an antibiotic already started is the right class, or reveal that the real problem is not a bacterial infection at all. Any change to a prescribed medicine that follows is a decision for the prescribing clinician, informed by those results.

Bronchoscopy vs CT scan: what each does best

Neither test replaces the other. In practice the CT almost always comes first, because it is non-invasive and shows the whole chest at once. The bronchoscopy follows when the scan raises a question that only tissue or fluid can settle. Here is how the two compare on the points people ask about most.

Question	Chest CT	Bronchoscopy
Where is the abnormality?	Excellent; shows size, location and relationship to vessels and nodes across the whole chest	Limited to airways the scope can reach; peripheral lung not directly visible
What is it made of?	Suggestive only; benign and malignant lesions can look alike	Direct answer through biopsy, brushing or washing sent to the laboratory
Which organism is causing infection?	Cannot identify organisms	Washings and lavage can be cultured and tested
Airway lining changes	May miss flat or early surface changes	Seen in color, in real time
Lymph node involvement	Shows enlargement; cannot confirm cause	Ultrasound-guided needle sampling confirms what is in the node
Invasiveness	None beyond radiation exposure and possible contrast dye	Sedation, local anesthetic, small procedural risks
Can it treat?	No	Yes, in selected cases: removing mucus plugs or foreign objects, controlling bleeding, opening narrowed airways

The last row deserves a word. Bronchoscopy is sometimes therapeutic as well as diagnostic. MedlinePlus lists removing a foreign object, controlling bleeding and treating airway narrowing among its uses. A scan, however detailed, only observes.

Read together, the table makes the logic of the pathway clear. The CT decides whether a bronchoscopy is worth doing and where to aim it. The bronchoscopy decides what happens next.

Who is bronchoscopy usually for, and who is usually asked to wait?

Doctors do not send everyone with an abnormal scan for a scope. The Cleveland Clinic points out that pulmonary nodules are common findings and that most turn out to be benign, so many small nodules are simply watched with repeat imaging rather than biopsied. Bronchoscopy tends to be offered when the answer will change what happens next and when the target is reachable.

Common situations where it is considered:

• A lung mass or nodule that looks suspicious on CT, especially one near or within a larger airway.
• Enlarged lymph nodes in the center of the chest that need sampling to explain them or to stage a known cancer.
• Coughing up blood without a clear cause.
• Pneumonia that fails to improve, or lung infection in someone whose immune system is suppressed.
• A cough or wheeze that has lasted for weeks with no explanation on other tests.
• Suspected inhaled foreign object, or a mucus plug blocking an airway.
• Suspected diffuse lung disease where lavage or small biopsies may clarify the pattern.

Some people are usually asked to wait, or offered a different route, because the risks temporarily outweigh the benefit. Mayo Clinic and MedlinePlus both describe caution when oxygen levels are very low, when there is severe heart disease or a recent heart attack, when blood pressure in the lung vessels is very high, or when bleeding risk is elevated. Blood-thinning medicines are a frequent reason for a pause; the team may ask that they be adjusted beforehand, but how and whether to do so is decided by the prescribing clinician, never by the patient alone.

Age by itself is not a barrier. Fitness for sedation, the reachability of the target and the likelihood that the result will guide care are what matter. If a nodule sits far out at the lung’s edge, a CT-guided needle biopsy or a period of watchful imaging may be the more sensible plan, and a good team will explain why.

What happens on the day, and how long does a bronchoscopy take?

The day starts with an empty stomach. Because sedation dulls the reflexes that protect the airway, MedlinePlus advises not eating or drinking for several hours beforehand, typically most of the night before a morning appointment; the exact instructions come from the procedure team. Someone will need to drive home, since sedation lingers.

On arrival a nurse checks vital signs and places a small intravenous line in the hand or arm. A clip on the finger tracks oxygen, and a soft tube or mask may deliver extra oxygen during the procedure. The back of the throat is sprayed with numbing medicine. Many people describe the spray as tasting bitter and making swallowing feel strange for a while.

Once the sedative takes effect, the scope is passed gently through a nostril or the mouth, past the voice box and into the trachea. People often remember a brief urge to cough as it passes the vocal cords, then very little. The doctor inspects each visible branch, takes photographs, and collects washings, brushings or biopsies from the areas identified on the CT. If ultrasound is used, a needle is passed into lymph nodes under direct guidance.

Mayo Clinic describes the procedure as usually lasting about 30 to 60 minutes, although preparation and recovery add time on either side. Afterward, people rest in a recovery area while the sedation wears off and oxygen is monitored. Mayo advises not eating or drinking until the throat numbness has faded, which typically takes about one to two hours, because a numb throat makes choking more likely.

Before leaving, the team explains what was seen, what samples were taken and how results will be delivered. Most people go home the same day. A sore throat, hoarseness and a scratchy cough for a day or so are common and expected.

What is the most serious complication of bronchoscopy?

Bronchoscopy is generally described as a low-risk procedure, and both Mayo Clinic and MedlinePlus note that complications are uncommon. That said, the risks that exist deserve plain description, because knowing them is what makes the red-flag list later in this article meaningful.

Pneumothorax, a collapsed lung, is the complication most pulmonologists worry about. It happens when a biopsy taken through the airway wall punctures the thin lining of the lung, letting air leak into the space around it. The lung then partly deflates. MedlinePlus lists this among the main risks and notes it is more likely when a transbronchial biopsy is performed. A small pneumothorax may need only observation and repeat imaging. A larger one may require a chest tube to release the air and allow the lung to re-expand. Teams often check a chest X-ray after transbronchial biopsies for exactly this reason.

Bleeding is the other significant risk. Small amounts of blood-streaked sputum after biopsy are common and settle on their own. Heavier bleeding is rare, more likely if the airway lining is inflamed or if blood-thinning medicines are on board, and is usually controlled during the procedure itself.

Less common problems include:

• A temporary drop in oxygen levels during the procedure, managed with extra oxygen.
• Fever in the first day, which Mayo Clinic notes is common after bronchoscopy and does not always mean infection.
• Irregular heart rhythm or blood pressure changes, mainly in people with existing heart disease.
• Reactions to the sedative or numbing medicine.
• Infection introduced during the procedure, which is uncommon.

Risk is weighed individually. The number and type of biopsies planned, the target’s location, lung function and medicines all shape it. The treating team’s job is to explain that balance in advance, and a person’s job is to ask until the balance makes sense.

How soon do you get results from a bronchoscopy, and why do biopsy results take time?

Some information arrives the same day. The pulmonologist can usually describe what the airways looked like, whether an obvious growth or blockage was seen, and whether a foreign object or mucus plug was removed. That visual report is immediate.

The samples are a different matter, and the wait can feel disproportionate to a procedure that took under an hour. Mayo Clinic notes that results are typically discussed a few days after the procedure, with some tests taking longer. The reasons are practical rather than bureaucratic:

• Cytology from washings and brushings needs cells to be fixed, stained and read by a pathologist. This is often the quickest laboratory result.
• Tissue biopsies must be processed, embedded in wax, sliced thinner than a hair and stained before examination. If cancer is found, additional stains and molecular tests to identify the subtype and mutations may add days to weeks, and those details often determine which treatments are even options.
• Cultures grow at biological speed. Common bacteria can show within a day or two. Fungi and tuberculosis grow slowly; tuberculosis cultures in particular may take several weeks to give a final answer, which is why molecular tests are often run alongside to give an earlier indication.

A pathology report can also come back as “non-diagnostic” or “insufficient,” meaning the sample did not contain enough of the target to say. That is not a failure of the person or a sign of bad news; it means the team must decide whether to repeat the sampling, use a different route, or watch with imaging.

Before leaving on the day, it is worth confirming exactly how and when the results will be delivered, and who to contact if that date passes in silence. Waiting is genuinely one of the hardest parts of this pathway, and knowing the plan helps.

What do the days after a bronchoscopy usually look like?

The first evening is mostly about the throat and the sedation. Hoarseness, a raw feeling on swallowing and a dry cough are typical for a day or so. Sedation leaves people foggy and unsteady, which is why driving, operating machinery, signing important documents and drinking alcohol are generally discouraged until the next day; the discharge instructions will say so specifically.

Streaks of blood in what is coughed up are common if biopsies were taken and usually fade within a couple of days. Mayo Clinic notes that a low-grade fever in the first day is also common and typically settles on its own. Soft foods and warm fluids tend to be kinder to the throat than anything scratchy.

Most people return to ordinary activities, including desk work, the following day. Anyone who had many biopsies or a longer procedure under general anesthesia may feel tired for a little longer. Strenuous exercise is usually best deferred until the team has confirmed there is no air leak, particularly after transbronchial biopsies.

The days after are also the waiting days for results, and that deserves acknowledgement. Practical steps that people find helpful:

• Write down the date the team said results are expected and the number to call if it passes.
• Keep a simple note of any symptoms, especially breathlessness, chest pain, fever or bleeding, with the time they started.
• Ask whether a follow-up appointment has already been booked or whether results will come by phone or letter first.
• If a specific worry, such as cancer, is on the table, consider bringing someone to the results appointment to help remember what is said.

None of these change the result. They do change how manageable the interval feels, and they make the conversation that follows more useful.

What people often get wrong about bronchoscopy

Misconceptions cluster around this test, partly because most people have never seen one and partly because the word sounds more dramatic than the procedure usually is.

“If the CT saw it, the biopsy will be easy.” Not necessarily. Seeing a nodule on a scan and reaching it with a scope are separate problems. Peripheral nodules may need image guidance, a needle through the chest wall or observation instead.

“A normal bronchoscopy means my lungs are fine.” A clear airway lining is reassuring about the airways, not about the whole lung. Disease at the lung’s edge or in the air sacs can be invisible to the camera. The result is always interpreted next to the CT.

“A negative biopsy rules out cancer.” It reduces the likelihood, sometimes substantially, but a sample can miss its target. If the scan still looks worrying, the team may recommend repeat sampling or close imaging rather than closing the file.

“They put me fully to sleep and I’ll stop breathing.” Most flexible bronchoscopies use moderate sedation with local numbing; people breathe on their own throughout and often have hazy memories of the procedure. General anesthesia is used in specific circumstances and involves an anesthesia team.

“Washings are just a formality.” For infection questions they are often the most valuable sample taken, because culture and molecular tests can identify an organism that no image and no biopsy could.

“Bronchoscopy treats the problem.” Usually it diagnoses. In selected cases it can remove a blockage, control bleeding or open a narrowed airway, but for most people its job is to gather the information that guides treatment elsewhere.

“I should stop my blood thinner before the test to be safe.” Stopping or changing any medicine without instruction can be dangerous. The procedure team and the prescribing clinician decide together what, if anything, should change.

Questions to ask your care team before a bronchoscopy

Good questions make a good consultation. These are the ones that tend to produce answers people actually use.

• What exactly did the CT show, and what question is the bronchoscopy meant to answer?
• Which samples do you plan to take: washings, brushings, biopsies, or a needle into lymph nodes? Will ultrasound or navigation be used?
• Is the area reachable with the scope, or is there a chance we will need a different type of biopsy afterward?
• What are the alternatives for someone in my situation, including watching with repeat imaging, and why is bronchoscopy preferred here?
• Will I have sedation or general anesthesia, and who will be monitoring me?
• Which of my regular medicines should I take that morning, and are there any you want adjusted beforehand? Who will give me those instructions in writing?
• What is the chance of a collapsed lung or significant bleeding given the biopsies you plan, and will a chest X-ray be done afterward?
• How long should I expect to be at the facility in total?
• When and how will I receive each type of result, and who do I contact if I have not heard by then?
• If the sample turns out to be non-diagnostic, what would the next step be?
• What symptoms after the procedure should make me call you, and what should send me to emergency care?
• Is there anything about my lung function, heart history or oxygen levels that changes the plan or the risk for me?

Writing the answers down, or bringing someone who can, turns a nervous appointment into a record that can be referred back to. The team will not mind repeating themselves; clear understanding on both sides is part of doing the procedure well, and every decision about whether and how to proceed remains theirs to make with you.

When to call your doctor after a bronchoscopy

Most people go home with a sore throat and little else. A small number develop problems in the hours or days afterward, and the signs are recognizable if you know them. Mayo Clinic and MedlinePlus advise contacting the care team, or seeking emergency care, for the following.

Call emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department if you notice:

• Sudden or worsening shortness of breath, or breathing that feels harder than it did before the procedure.
• Sharp chest pain, especially pain that worsens with a deep breath, which can signal a collapsed lung.
• Coughing up more than a small amount of blood, or blood that is bright red and continuing rather than streaks that are fading.
• Bluish lips or fingertips, confusion or fainting.

Call the care team the same day if you have:

• A fever that persists beyond the first day or climbs rather than settles.
• Chest discomfort that is new or does not ease.
• Hoarseness or difficulty swallowing that lasts more than a couple of days.
• Any symptom that is worrying you, even if it is not on this list.

These signs matter most after transbronchial biopsies, when the risk of an air leak is higher, but they apply to everyone. A late pneumothorax can develop hours after the procedure, when you are already at home, which is why the discharge instructions usually give a direct number to call rather than a general switchboard.

Trust the instinct that something is not right. Calling about a symptom that turns out to be nothing costs a phone call. Waiting on one that turns out to be an air leak or a bleed costs far more. The treating team would always rather hear from you early, and they, not this article, will decide what the symptom means and what to do about it.

Frequently asked questions

Why would a doctor order a bronchoscopy?

Usually because a scan, symptom or blood test has raised a question that only direct viewing or a sample can answer. Common triggers include a suspicious nodule or mass, enlarged chest lymph nodes, coughing up blood, pneumonia that is not improving, a persistent unexplained cough, or a suspected inhaled object. The procedure lets the team look at the airways and bring back fluid, cells or tissue for the laboratory.

What is the most serious complication of bronchoscopy?

A collapsed lung, called a pneumothorax, is the complication pulmonologists take most seriously. It occurs when a biopsy taken through the airway wall lets air leak into the space around the lung. Small leaks may only need observation; larger ones need a chest tube. Significant bleeding is the other main risk. Both are uncommon, and the team will explain how the planned biopsies affect your individual risk.

How soon do you get results from a bronchoscopy?

The visual findings are usually explained the same day. Laboratory results take longer: cytology from washings and brushings is often back within a few days, tissue biopsies may take several days and longer still if molecular tests are needed, and cultures for slow-growing organisms such as tuberculosis can take weeks. Ask the team for the expected date and the number to call if it passes.

Can you see lung cancer on a bronchoscopy?

Yes, when a tumor involves a larger airway the camera shows it directly and it can be biopsied on the spot. Many cancers, however, sit in the outer lung beyond the scope’s reach, so the airways may look normal even when the CT shows a nodule. In those cases ultrasound, navigation tools or a different biopsy route may be used. A normal-looking airway does not by itself rule out cancer.

What does a bronchoscopy show that a CT scan does not?

It shows the color, texture and surface detail of the airway lining in real time, picking up flat or early changes that do not alter the airway’s shape on a scan. More importantly, it collects samples: washings for infection, brushings for cells, and biopsies for tissue. CT can identify and locate an abnormality, but it cannot tell the team what it is made of.

What is a bronchial washing test used for?

A bronchial washing sends sterile saline into an airway and collects it back, carrying cells and any organisms present. The fluid is cultured for bacteria, fungi and tuberculosis and examined for abnormal cells. It is especially useful when coughed-up sputum is unavailable or contaminated, in pneumonia that fails to improve, and in people with weakened immune systems where unusual infections are possible.

How long do bronchoscopy biopsy results take compared with washings?

Washings and brushings are generally faster because cells can be stained and read within a few days. Tissue biopsies must be processed, sliced and stained before a pathologist examines them, and if cancer is found, additional subtype and molecular tests can add days to weeks. Cultures run on their own timetable, with tuberculosis being the slowest. The team can give you an expected date for each.

Is bronchoscopy painful?

Most people describe it as uncomfortable rather than painful. The throat is numbed with a spray and sedation is given through a vein, so people are drowsy and often remember little. A brief urge to cough as the scope passes the vocal cords is common. Afterward a sore throat, hoarseness and a scratchy cough for a day or so are typical and settle on their own.

Bronchoscopy vs CT scan: which one comes first?

Almost always the CT, because it is non-invasive and shows the entire chest at once. It tells the team whether there is anything worth sampling and where to aim. Bronchoscopy follows when the scan raises a question that only fluid, cells or tissue can settle. The two are complementary; the scan guides the scope, and the scope’s samples determine what happens next.

What can a bronchoscopy detect besides cancer?

It can identify infections including bacterial pneumonia, tuberculosis and fungal disease through washings and lavage; inflammatory conditions such as sarcoidosis through cell counts and small biopsies; sources of bleeding in the airway; narrowing or damage to the airway wall; and blockages from mucus plugs or inhaled objects, which can often be removed during the same procedure. It is a diagnostic tool with many targets, not a single-purpose cancer test.

References

• MedlinePlus: Bronchoscopy
• NHS: Lung cancer, diagnosis
• Cleveland Clinic: Pulmonary nodules
• CDC: Testing for tuberculosis

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.