[Interventional Bronchoscopies for the Treatment of 112 Cases with Complex Malignant Central Airway Diseases Involved in Bifurcation].

BACKGROUND: It is very difficult to deal with the comprehensive central airway diseases, especially the malignant airway obstruction. The aim of this study is to explore the clinical effects of multiple interventional bronchoscopies for the treatment of 112 cases with comprehensive malignant central airway diseases so as to evaluate the clinical applications of thermoablation and cryosurgery.

METHODS: The 112 cases with malignant airway diseases retrospectively reviewed for bronchoscopic interventions performed in more than two lesions of carina and/or bifurcation. The age was from 22 to 90 years, which including 55 cases with squamous carcinoma (SQ), 16 adenocarcinoma (AD), 15 adenocystic carcinoma (ACC), 10 metastasis tumor (MT), 8 small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and 8 mixed carcinoma (MC). All bronchoscopic interventions such as argon plasma coagulation (APC), cryosurgery, electronic snare and stenting were performed under rigid bronchoscopy combined with electric bronchoscopy in general anesthesia.

RESULTS: The 460 bronchoscopic procedures were successfully performed in 112 cases. Cryosurgery and APC were the most used in every group. Stent was more common in patients with MT, balloon dilation was more common in patients with ACC and AD. Electric snare and radioactive seeds implantation were frequently used in cases with SCLC. Trachea stricture is more severe in MT than that in others, while bronchus stricture is more severe than that of trachea in SQ and ACC group. Karnofsky performance score (KPS) is lower and shortness of breath score (SBS) is higher in MC, MT and SCLC group. Trachea and bronchus stricture is improved after comprehensive treatment in 5 groups except of mixed group. KPS increased and SS decreased significantly in 5 groups except of adenocarcinoma. In follow-up, the overall survival time (OS) is 15 months and median survival time is 10 months, especially OS is 28.4 months in ACC and 21.7 months in AD, 8.9 months in SCLC and 7.4 months in mixed group.

CONCLUSIONS: APC combination with Cryosurgery and other bronchoscopic interventions are indicated for the treatment of complex or difficult airway diseases whether they are located in trachea or bronchus. It is a safe and rapid during procedure.