Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of Primary Tracheal Cancer: A Single Institution Experience

Abstract

Background Primary tracheal cancers (PTCs) are rare and current evidence-based understanding is limited to retrospective reports and national databases. We present single institutional study of a historical cohort of PTC from Canadian provincial cancer registry database.

Materials and Methods: After institutional research ethics board approval, all PTC patients diagnosed from 1980 to 2014 were identified through the Canadian provincial cancer registry. Demographic and tumor related factors were evaluated using descriptive statistics. Survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and cox hazard regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results: A total of 30 patients were included in the study. At presentation, 10 patients (33%) had only local disease, 14 patients (47%) had locoregional disease and the remaining 4 patients (13%) had distant metastasis. The majority of patients underwent primary radiation treatment. The overall survival rate was 30% at 2 years and 16% at 5 years. Patients receiving radical-intent therapy had better 2-year DFS and OS compared to patients managed with palliative radiotherapy and best supportive care (46%, 17% and 0%) (p=<0.001) and (50%, 23% and 0%) (p=<0.001), respectively. Radiotherapy resulted in a better 2-year OS and DFS (32% versus 14%) (p=<0.03) and (32% versus 0%) (p=<0.001), respectively.

Conclusion: PTC is an uncommon neoplasm making the study of the disease technically and logistically challenging. Radical radiotherapy alone is curative option in inoperable PTC. Intent of treatment and radiotherapy were associated with superior survival outcomes.