Fig. 4

The H&E stain and representative PTC phenotypes of PTNB specimens in NSCLC patients. a, b. A 76-year-old male patient had a mass in the upper lobe of the right lung and enlarged hilar lymph nodes, with the tumor subtype of adenocarcinoma. CT-guided PTNB was performed to obtain specimens for PTC culture. c. The H&E stain showed the tumor cells had a polygonal morphology. The predominant growth pattern of the tumor was solid-type and lacked other recognizable patterns. d. PTC culture showed the cell clusters have diameters ranging from 40–90 micrometers, which are varied in size and exhibit irregular shapes. e, f. An 82-year-old male patient had a mass in the lower lobe of the right lung and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes, with the tumor subtype of squamous cell carcinoma. CT-guided PTNB was performed to obtain specimens for PTC culture. g. The H&E stain showed the tumor was made up of large, hyperchromatic, and pleomorphic squamous cells arranged in nests, and presented with keratinization and intercellular bridge. h. PTC culture showed the diameters of cell clusters range from 40 to 100 micrometers, and the masses are regularly shaped with smooth boundaries, being surrounded by a large number of scattered cells. PTC = Patient-derived tumor-like cell clusters. PTNB = Percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy. NSCLC = Non-small cell lung cancer. CT = Computed tomography