Tracheal tumors: surgical management.

In a 15-year period, 63 patients with primary tracheal tumors were seen. Twenty-eight patients with primary tumors and 8 with secondary tumors of the trachea were treated by resection with single-stage reconstruction. There were 24 cylindrical resections of trachea, 2 lateral resections of trachea, and 10 carinal reconstructions. Thirty-five additional patients with primary tracheal tumors were managed by staged reconstruction, irradiation, or no treatment. The most common primary lesion was squamous cell carcinoma and the second, adenoid cystic carcinoma. Benign primary tumors and low-grade malignant tumors obtained excellent palliation and usually cure. Surgical removal of squamous cell carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma, usually with adjunctive irradiation, provided good palliation or the probability of cure. Resection of selected secondary tumors provided long-term palliation.