[Tracheobronchial reconstruction of malignant tumors]

To August, 1988, we performed tracheobronchial reconstruction for 159 patients with malignant tumors. Operative methods in these patients and the operative results studied in the end of March, 1989, was reported. As for adenoid cystic carcinoma, we stressed, by illustrating cases, that postoperative radiation therapy was useful and that it should be given for all patients with this disease. About one half of patients with thyroid carcinoma infiltrating the trachea died of symptoms related with tracheal stenosis. However, tracheobronchial reconstruction improved 10 year survival rate in patients with advanced thyroid carcinoma remarkably, which became close to that in patients with non-infiltrating thyroid carcinoma. As for lung cancer, tracheobronchial reconstruction had good indication for squamous cell carcinoma.