1991 Volume 13 Issue 3 Pages 249-258
Intratumoral injection of absolute (99.5%) ethanol via a flexible bronchofiberscope was attempted on 10 cases with tracheobronchial stenosis or obstruction by neoplasia. Out of 7 cases with lung cancer, ethanol injections were effective in 1 case, and temporarily effective in 3 cases, while they were ineffective in the others. Though the results were ineffective in pulmonary metastasis, effects were obtained in a case of tracheal cancer and one of tracheal papillomatosis was improved. In some cases, radio- or chemotherapy were performed in combination with ethanol injection. There were no complications except for mild cough. This method was effective against polypoid proliferative tumors but ineffective for superficial or submucosally infiltrating tumor. However, even in effective cases, long term prognosis was not so good. Though it is palliative, intratumoral ethanol injection can be useful for bronchoscopic treatment from the standpoint of the patient's quality of life.
