Does CT-guided needle biopsy seed the pleura with cancer?

A retrospective look at 447 patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer by Inoue et al suggests yes, but without affecting survival. When cancer recurred in those initially diagnosed by CT-guided needle biopsy, pleural dissemination was more likely (8 of 13 recurrences). However, 5-year disease free survival was 89% in the CT-biopsy group and 85.5% in those diagnosed by bronchoscopic / open biopsy. Ann Thorac Surg 2011;91:1066-1071.