Tracheal Tumors

Treatment

Treatment of tracheal tumors depends on several factors, including the location of the tumor, stage of diagnosis, age of the patient, and underlying medical conditions. Some of the treatment options for the tracheal tumor include:

• Surgery: Surgery is one of the preferred treatments for managing tracheal tumors. Surgery aims for complete tumor resection. When done by an experienced surgeon, the surgery results in increased chances of protection of lateral tracheal blood supply, avoiding excessive anastomotic tension, and safe reconstruction of the trachea or bronchi after tumor resection.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy may be administered in patients where the cancer is not completely removed through surgery or has spread to other body parts. Radiation therapy may also be used when most of the trachea is blocked by a tumor or the tumor has spread to nearby lymph nodes.
• Radiation therapy may be delivered through external beam radiation therapy or brachytherapy. External beam radiation therapy involves guiding the radiation on the tumor from the external machine. In brachytherapy, the radiation seeds are placed near the tumor to destroy the tumor. Radiotherapy may also be used before surgery to shrink the tumor or kill the remaining cancer cells after surgery.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy involves drugs that kill rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be delivered orally or through injection. Chemotherapy is usually used with radiation therapy or surgery in patients with advanced cancer. It relieves the symptoms in patients with advanced cancer as a part of the palliative care strategy.
• Laser treatment: Laser therapy is used to vaporize the tumor. It is done with the help of a bronchoscope. The laser treatment aims to remove the maximum possible tumor.
• Photodynamic therapy: It involves the use of a light-sensitive drug and a high-energy light to kill the tracheal cancer cells. Light-sensitive drugs are injected into the body. These drugs are non-toxic until sensitized by light. However, once activated, these drugs kill the cancer cells.
• Cryotherapy: Cryotherapy involves using very low temperatures to kill cancer cells. The probe is guided near the tumor through the bronchoscope. The probe freezes the tumor, which results in killing the cancer cells.
• Diathermy: Diathermy is also called electrocautery. It involves using electric current to generate heat to destroy cancer cells.
• Stenting: This procedure is performed if the tumor blocks the trachea. The stent is placed in the trachea with the help of a bronchoscope. The stent assists in keeping the trachea open.