Biopsy frequency and complications among lung cancer patients in the United States

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the frequency and distribution of biopsy procedures for patients diagnosed and treated for primary lung cancer. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study within an administrative database. MATERIALS & METHODS: This observational study used data from the IBM MarketScan(®) Databases between 2013 and 2015. RESULTS: The total number of lung biopsies performed among eligible subjects was 32,814; an average of 1.7 biopsies per patient. Bronchoscopy and percutaneous approaches accounted for 95% of all procedures. Complication rates by procedure are remarkably similar irrespective of biopsy frequency. CONCLUSION: Nearly half (46%) of patients in this population experienced multiple biopsies prior to diagnosis. Further, biopsy choice or sequence in patients receiving multiple procedures was unpredictable.