Endotracheal irradiation of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the trachea.

Management of advanced or recurrent primary tracheal neoplasms has been restricted to palliative external beam irradiation. A patient with recurrent adenoid cystic carcinoma of the trachea was recently treated again by combined external irradiation and endotracheal brachytherapy with iridium 192 sources; the results were dramatic without significant normal tissue toxicity. This endotracheal brachytherapy technique might be applied to tracheal tumors of different histology or more limited extent.