APOXESIS OF PRIMARY TRACHEAL TUMOR - A CLINICAL ANALYSIS OF 23 CASES

During a 17-year period, 23 patients with primary tracheal tumors unde rwent surgical treatment in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, PUMC H ospital (11 cases of benign tumor of the trachea, 12 cases of low mali gnancies). Fourteen times of apoxesis were performed in 11 patients wi th benign tumors who were followed up for an average of 6.3 years. Fif teen operations were performed in 12 cases including local resection o f the tracheal wall and tumor in 4, and curettage of tumor plus electr ic cauterization on the basis in 10. Eight of 9 patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma received postoperative adjuvant irradiation, with a 5 -year postoperative survival rate of 75% (6 / 8) and 3 cases survived over ten years. The desirability of apoxesis and local resection of tr acheal tumor is discussed. The authors suggest that these two surgical patterns can be regarded as a simple and effective treatment for pati ents with primary tracheal tumors.