A procedure in which cells are taken from the inside of the airways that lead to the lungs. A
bronchoscope (a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a
lens for viewing) is inserted through the nose or mouth into the lungs. A mild salt solution is washed over the surface of the airways to collect cells, which are then looked at under a
microscope.
Bronchial washing is used to find infections. It may also help find
cancer or changes in cells that may lead to cancer.
bronchial (BRON-kee-ul)
Having to do with the bronchi, which are the larger air passages of the lungs, including those that lead from the trachea (windpipe) to the lungs and those within the lungs.
Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)bronchoscope (BRON-koh-SKOPE)
A thin, tube-like instrument used to examine the inside of the trachea, bronchi (air passages that lead to the lungs), and lungs. A bronchoscope has a light and a lens for viewing, and may have a tool to remove tissue.
Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)cancer (KAN-ser)
A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues. Cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. There are several main types of cancer. Carcinoma is a cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs. Sarcoma is a cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue. Leukemia is a cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow, and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood. Lymphoma and multiple myeloma are cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system. Central nervous system cancers are cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord. Also called malignancy.
Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)lens (lenz)
A clear disk that focuses light, as in a camera or microscope. In the eye, the lens is a clear, curved structure at the front of the eye behind the pupil. It focuses light rays that enter the eye through the pupil, making an image on the retina (light-sensitive layers of nerve tissue at the back of the eye).
Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)microscope (MY-kroh-SKOPE)
An instrument that is used to look at cells and other small objects that cannot be seen with the eye alone.
Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)
