[Primary tracheal carcinoma--report of 5 patients]

From 1980 through 1985, 5 patients with primary tracheal carcinoma were admitted to Human Cancer Hospital, comprising 0.024% of total admissions during the same period. The incidence of lung cancer and laryngeal cancer was 386 and 43 times as high as that of tracheal carcinoma. All were proved pathologically. 3 patients were given radical operation, followed by radiotherapy; 1 received radiotherapy plus chemotherapy and the other, chemotherapy alone. All three patients treated by operation plus radiotherapy survived for more than 3 years and 2 of them are still alive. Diagnosis, causes and avoidance of misdiagnosis are discussed.