TREATMENT OF PRIMARY TRACHEAL CARCINOMA IN FINLAND IN 1967-1985

The treatment results of all the 95 primary tracheal carcinomas record ed by the Finnish Cancer Registry in 1967-1985 are evaluated. Six of t he 95 patients were treated by surgery, 60 received radiotherapy and 2 9 were left untreated or received only palliative endoscopic or cytost atic therapy. The prognosis of the disease was poor. Among the 44 squa mous cell carcinoma patients treated by radiotherapy, the median survi val time after the diagnosis was 8 months (range 1-81 months). Complet e response to radiotherapy was a favourable prognostic sign; after com plete response the survival rates at 1, 2 and 5 years were 45%, 18% an d 9% respectively. Patients with adenocystic carcinoma had the best pr ognosis.