We have treated surgically 20 patients with malignant tracheal tumors for the past 14 years.
In 11 of the 20 patients, thyroid cancer had infiltrated into the tracheal wall. Ten of the 11 patients had the damages of the cervical trachea. In the remaining one patient, thyroid cancer which had occurred in the mediastinum infiltrated into the lower trachea and the right main bronchus.
In 4 patients with lung cancer, cancer which had in the right upper lobe bronchus infiltrated into the lower trachea through the right main bronchus.
There were 2 patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma and one patient with leiomyosa rcoma.
The remaining 2 patients consisted cf a patient in whom the parathyroid cancer had infiltrated into the cervical trachea, and a patient in whom the lymph nodes with metastasis of the esophageal cancer had involved the large part of the trachea.
Five of the 20 patients died. A patient with thyroid cancer in the mediastinum died 7 days after the operation because the suturing was inadequate. A patient with lung cancer died of sudden hemoptysis 24 days after the operation. A patient with thyroid cancer extended from the trachea to the right subclavian artery and the right common carotid artery died of bleeding 4 months after the first operation. A patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma died of a metastatic tumor of the lung 5 years and 4 months after the operation. A patient with esophageal cancer died of general weakness.
