Bronchoscopic implantation of radioactive gold grains into endobronchial carcinomas

We report the results of palliative treatment of non-resectable obstructing endobronchial carcinoma by bronchoscopic implantation of radioactive gold grains in 18 patients. Dyspnoea and collapse of a lobe or a lung were successfully treated in 13 cases where tumour was locally confined to a main or lobar bronchus. The response was maintained until death in nine of these patients but obstruction recurred in four longer surviving patients with tumours of main bronchus after a mean interval of 6 months. Treatment was less successful in five patients with tumour extending onto the trachea. The low penetration of interstitial radiation offers the advantage that normal lung and other tissues are not damaged, so that the procedure can be used in patients previously submitted to external radiotherapy.