Primary tumours of the trachea: analysis of clinical features and treatment results

Primary tracheal small-cell carcinoma detected 11 months after surgery for pulmonary large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma: A case report

Primary tracheal small-cell carcinoma is rare, and is often treated using small-cell lung cancer guidelines given that no standard treatment has been established for it. We report a patient in whom nodules appeared in the trachea and left main bronchus 11 months after surgery for pulmonary large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma; a biopsy revealed small-cell carcinoma. Given the absence of malignant lesions elsewhere in the body, the lesions were diagnosed as primary tracheal small-cell carcinoma. Respiratory failure progressed rapidly owing to airway stenosis caused by the growing lesion, and the patient required nasal high-flow therapy. However, the lesions shrank a few days after commencing first-line chemotherapy, and his respiratory failure resolved. Accelerated hyperfractionated radiotherapy was administered in conjunction with the third course of chemotherapy, and the patient ultimately achieved a complete response. Although the lesions were initially suspected of being postoperative recurrence of pulmonary large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, the fact that the biopsy revealed them to be primary tracheal small-cell carcinoma indicates that intra-airway nodules that appear after lung cancer surgery may possibly be primary tracheal tumors.

Successful management of tracheal lobular capillary hemangioma with arterial embolization followed by electrosurgical snaring via flexible bronchoscopy in an 11-year-old boy: A case report and literature review

Lobular capillary hemangioma (LCH), previously known as pyogenic granuloma, is a benign vascular lesion commonly found within the oral and nasal cavities. However, it is rarely encountered within the trachea, especially in pediatric patients, where it manifests as hemoptysis, cough, and wheeze, and is frequently misdiagnosed as bronchitis or asthma. There is limited literature on the presentation, behavior, and management of tracheal LCH. Herein, we describe a rare case of tracheal LCH in an 11-year-old boy with a history of hemoptysis, which was successfully managed with arterial embolization followed by electrocautery loop snaring via flexible bronchoscopy. No complications occurred during and after the procedure. A review of the relevant literature is also provided. Our case is unique, given the therapeutic strategy utilized for pediatric tracheal LCH, and reminds physicians to be aware of tracheal LCH in the differential diagnosis for hemoptysis.

Management of an Acute Airway Obstruction Due to Tracheal Carcinoma in a Patient With Severe Glottic Stenosis

In this paper, we present the case of acute airway obstruction due to tracheal carcinoma in a patient with glottic stenosis due to previously treated laryngeal carcinoma. Because of severe dyspnea from the obstructive endotracheal mass, tracheotomy under local anesthesia was immediately performed. Intubation with pediatric size (I.D. 4.5 mm) cuffed endotracheal tube was performed by the surgeon through tracheostomy under endoscopic visualization. Blakesley forceps and electrocautery were used for tumor debulking. Postoperatively there were no complications and the patient was discharged after four days. The histopathology report showed a squamous cell carcinoma. The tumor board decided on adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for the treatment of the patient.

Effective Radiotherapy in Tracheobronchial Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma With Positive Surgical Margin

BACKGROUND

The study aimed to evaluate the role of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in the treatment of trachea and main bronchus adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) with a positive surgical margin.

METHODS

Patients with pathologically confirmed trachea or main bronchus ACC operated on at Shanghai Chest Hospital were enrolled. Survival, univariate, and multivariate analyses were performed. The χ² test was applied to analyze the failure patterns among different groups (R0/0: negative margin resection without PORT; R1/0: positive margin resection without PORT; R1/1: positive margin resection with PORT).

RESULTS

From January 2001 to December 2014, 77 patients were deemed eligible for the study. Pairwise comparisons showed that the overall survival rate of group R1/1 was comparable to that of group R0/0 (P = .438), and significantly longer than the rate of group R1/0 (P = .032). Additionally, the local disease-free survival rate of group R1/1 was much higher than that of group R0/0 (P = .023) and R1/0 (P = .001). Cox multivariate analysis identified the radiologic feature (P = .012) and PORT (P = .006) as significantly favorable prognostic factors for locoregional disease-free survival. By contrast, for overall survival, PORT (P = .032) was the only corresponding variable identified by univariate analysis. Furthermore, PORT significantly decreased the locoregional recurrence rate (P = .002) but not distant metastases (P > .999).

CONCLUSIONS

PORT helped patients with tracheobronchial ACC and microscopic positive surgical margins to achieve a similar outcome as patients with complete resection. R0 resection may not be necessary for tracheobronchial ACC if it is difficult to be completely resected.

Tracheal cancer - treatment results, prognostic factors and incidence of other neoplasms

Background

Tracheal cancers (TC) are rare and treatment results that are reported are typically not satisfactory. The purpose of this research was assessment of the results of treatment of TC patients, identification of potential additional surgery candidates, evaluation of prognostic factors, and assessment of the occurrence of other malignancies.

Patients and methods

The Regional Cancer Database and the Hospital Database were searched for patients with tracheal neoplasms. Fifty-eight of 418 patients identified initially, met the inclusion criteria (primary TC with confirmed histology and complete treatment records). Standard statistical tests were used.

Results

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; 63.8%) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC; 15.5%) were the most commonly diagnosed histological types of TC. Radiotherapy was delivered in 48 cases, surgery or endoscopic resection in 20, and chemotherapy in 14. TC was diagnosed as a second cancer in 10 patients, in 1 patient it occurred prior to the lung cancer, and in 1 was diagnosed simultaneously. During the median follow-up of 12.7 months, 85.5% of the patients died because of the disease. Local recurrence occurred in 17% cases. In univariate analysis, patients with ACC had statistically better five-year overall survival (77.8%) than those diagnosed with SCC (8.4%, p = 0.0001). Radiotherapy, performance status and haemoptysis were factors significantly influencing overall survival (OS) in the multivariate analysis. Among patients who were not treated surgically, 15–26% were found to constitute additional surgery candidates, depending on the selection criteria.

Conclusions

The diagnostic workup should be focused on the identification of TC patients suitable for invasive treatment and radiotherapy. Respiratory system cancer survivors can be considered a risk group for tracheal cancer. Radiotherapy constitutes an important part of the treatment of patients with TC.

[Squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea: imaging lymph node mapping]

The anatomy of the trachea lymphatics is poorly understood and the only researches date back to more than one century. Tracheal tumors are very rare, miscellaneous and variously lymphophilic. The cancers of the trachea have no TNM and their lymph node metastases are little studied despite their poor prognosis. We observed 2 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, one in the cervical and the other in the intrathoracic trachea. TDM-3D reformats demonstrated metastatic lymph nodes of the right para-tracheal lymph node chain (2R and 4R) in both patients and in the cervical lymph nodes (right recurrent nerve lymph node chain) in the patient with cervical tumor. Right location of the mediastinal metastases may be explained by the anatomy of the lymph node chain drainage of the lung segments, the right para-tracheal chain being the only one to regularly possess lymph nodes at that level. The right recurrent nerve lymph node metastases of the cervical tumor are explained by common lymph drainage of the cervical trachea towards larynx lymph centres. Besides lymph node metastases, cancers prognosis may also depends on its location in the trachea. Thus, the tracheal tumors are complex and constitute quite as many orphan tumors. Multicentric studies are mandatory to better understand their behavior. Means provided by new imaging techniques might permit establishing a veritable TNM lymph node mapping of these tumors.

Small-cell cancer presenting as a tracheal polyp: a case report and review of the literature

Primary tracheal tumors are rare. Malignant tracheal polyps constitute the majority, with very few case reports of small-cell cancer in the literature. Staging of these tumors follows the lung cancer TNM staging system, with little evidence-based guidance for their management. We report a case of small-cell cancer presenting as a tracheal polyp and review the related literature.

Should We Treat Lung Metastases from Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Head and Neck in Asymptomatic Patients?

Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor that is well known for its deceptively encouraging 5-year survival rate and its dismal survival rate at longer intervals. Controversy exists as to the benefit of regularly following asymptomatic patients to look for distant metastases because even if one is found, the options for further management are limited. When a metastasis is limited to the lung in an asymptomatic patient with no locoregional recurrence, metastasectomy might provide some long-term benefit, although we cannot know for certain. We encountered such a case, and we opted for surgical resection rather than a conservative approach. There is a need for multicenter trials so that the management of such patients, be it active or conservative, can be evidence-based.

Incidence and Treatment of Tracheal Cancer: A Nationwide Study in The Netherlands

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, characteristics, treatment, and survival of patients with tracheal malignancies in the Netherlands.

METHODS

All cases of tracheal cancer entered into the database of the Netherlands Cancer Registry in the period 1989-2002 were selected. Data on histological type, age at time of diagnosis, treatment, and survival were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

The annual incidence was 0.142 per 100,000 inhabitants (308 cases, of which 15 were found incidentally at autopsy). Of these, 72% were men. In 52.9%, the histological type was squamous cell carcinoma and in only 7.1% adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). Mean age at time of diagnosis was 64.3 years. Of the 293 patients diagnosed while alive, 34 patients underwent surgical resection (11.6%), 156 patients received radiotherapy (53.2%), and 103 patients neither (35.4%). Median survival of all 293 patients was 10 months (mean 28 months) with 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year survival rates of 43%, 15%, and 6%, respectively. The prognosis of patients with ACC was significantly better. The 5-year survival rate in patients who underwent surgical resection was 51%, and the 10-year survival rate in these patients was 33%.

CONCLUSION

The prognosis of patients with a tracheal malignancy is usually poor. Surgical treatment, however, can lead to good survival rates; still, this is currently only used in selected patients, even though it would seem to be possible in more cases in view of the technical advances in the field of tracheal surgery. Centralizing the care and treatment of tracheal cancers and implementing a more assertive attitude towards this disease could make surgery accessible to a larger number of patients. Data from the literature show that this would lead to better survival in patients with a tracheal malignancy.

Tracheal cancer in Denmark: a nationwide study

OBJECTIVE

Most published series on tracheal cancer reflect single institution experiences. We used the nationwide Danish Cancer Registry to report on characteristics and treatment of tracheal cancers in Denmark.

METHODS

One hundred and nine cases of primary tracheal cancers were extracted from the registry in the period 1978-1995. The clinical data, histological distribution and treatment modalities were analyzed. The cancers were staged in four groups (stage I-IV) according to size, location and spread.

RESULTS

Seventeen cases were diagnosed at autopsy. Ninety-two cases were diagnosed in vivo and 84% of these within 3 months after the first consultation. Sixty-three percent of the cancers were squamous cell carcinomas and only 7% were adenoid cystic carcinomas. The disease was at stage I in 21%, stage II in 23%, stage III in 6% and stage IV in 50%. The majority of the patients received radiotherapy as single treatment. Only nine patients were offered surgery (six were resected and three were found inoperable). The overall survival rates for cases diagnosed in vivo were 1-year 32%, 2-year 20% and 5-year 13%. For the resected patients the 5- and 15-year survival rates were 50%.

CONCLUSIONS

Tracheal cancers were rare and adenoid cystic carcinomas not as frequent as generally believed. Surgery was rarely offered. A resectability rate of only 10% is not adequately explained by selection bias and indicates a nihilistic attitude based on ignorance about surgical treatment of tracheal cancers. A more dedicated and aggressive approach with centralized workup and radical treatment is strongly recommended.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the trachea

OBJECTIVE

Primary tracheal tumors are rare, occurring in 0.2 per 100,000 persons per year. Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is the second most common histologic type of tracheal malignancy. Its clinical behavior is different from the other tracheal neoplasms and thus should be studied separately.

STUDY DESIGN/METHODS

Retrospective review of the medical records of six patients with tracheal ACC who were treated at University Hospitals of Cleveland between 1971 and 1996 and literature review.

RESULTS/CONCLUSION

Tracheal ACC is an indolent tumor that affects people at any age but has a peak incidence in the fifth decade. There is a nearly equal male-to-female ratio. Almost half of tracheal ACCs occur in the proximal trachea, accounting for the most common presenting symptoms: dyspnea, cough, and hoarseness. Because of the hoarseness, patients are often referred to an otolaryngologist. Complete resection provides the best chance for increased survival. Neutron beam radiotherapy holds promise for adjuvant therapy.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea in an infant: a case report

Primary malignant tumours of the trachea are extremely rare in infants. This report describes an 11-month-old boy suffering from severe dyspnea with a 5-month history of stridor and 'bronchitis'. A hard mass could be palpated below the right lobe of the thyroid gland. Roentgenograms and endoscopy showed an exophytic tumour filling more than 80% of the tracheal lumen. A tracheal resection and a subtotal thyroidectomy with primary anastomosis was performed. An invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea was diagnosed. This is the first reported case in an infant in the English literature. A local recurrence was found on MRI 19 weeks later. The infant died at 16 months of age.