Abstract
Backgrounds and Objective. Patients with malignant central airway stenosis require rapid palliation. Although the standard therapy is surgical treatment, endoscopic laser treatment and airway stent implantation have recently been performed to obtain clinical improvement in patients with inoperable lesions. We evaluated the efficacy of endoscopic laser treatment and airway stent implantation for malignant central airway stenosis. Subjects. Fifty-two patients (39 men, 13 women) who had undergone endoscopic laser treatment and airway stent implantation between November 1996 and September 2003 were examined retrospectively. Results. Endoscopic laser treatment was performed in 21 patients, consisting of 9 with lung cancer, 7 with thyroid cancer, 4 with endotracheal metastasis from renal cancer, and I with lung cancer endobronchial metastasis.
