Contemporary staging and prognosis for primary tracheal malignancies: a population-based analysis.
OBJECTIVE
Determine staging characteristics and survival outcomes for primary malignancies of the trachea. Design Cross-sectional analysis of national cancer database.


METHODS
Cases of primary tracheal malignancy were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database for the time period 1988-2000. T-stage, N-stage, and overall stage of presentation were determined. Mean, median, and 5-year survival statistics were computed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for each tumor histology and for the overall cohort according to stage.


RESULTS
Ninety-two cases with adequate histologic information were identified. Mean age at presentation was 59.3 years with an equal sex distribution. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common tumor type (41 cases) followed by adenoid cystic carcinoma (19 cases). Forty-nine cases (53%) presented with stage 3 or stage 4 disease. Squamous cell carcinoma exhibited poorer survival (mean survival, 44.0 month, 5-year survival, 34%) than adenoid cystic carcinoma (mean survival, 115 month, 5-year survival, 78%). Five-year unadjusted survival rates according to overall stage were 52.8%, 70.0%, 75.0%, 15.1%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary tracheal malignancies often present with advanced stage. Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea have poorer prognoses when compared with adenoid cystic carcinoma and other tumor types. Staging tracheal cancer with a TNM-based system helps predict survival.


METHODS
C.
Bhattacharyya
Neil
N
Department of Otology and Laryngology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Neiloy@Massmed.org
D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018426:SEER Program; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014134:Tracheal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*