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Tracheal cancer – This is a malignant formation that forms in the trachea.
Classification of tracheal cancer
Reveal formations of primary and secondary type. The first of them is formed from the walls of the trachea, often located close to the bronchi and is a fairly rare pathology, which ranges from 0,1 to 0,2% of all examples of malignant formations. Most prone to the disease are males aged 40 to 60 years.
Much more often formations are formed in the trachea of the secondary type. This occurs as a result of the growth of formations in conjugated localizations (for example, cancer of the larynx, thyroid gland) or with more distant metastases. You should also highlight the cylindric – a formation that develops from the specific epithelium of the tracheal glands. It is prone to an infiltrating type of growth and the formation of metastases. Determined by slow formation.
Squamous cell type cancer is a formation that is detected from the tissues of the squamous epithelium. It is located on the wall of the trachea on the side or behind, is determined by a slow rate of increase and begins to appear one or two years after the onset of the disease.
Tracheal sarcoma – is formed from the constituent connective tissues. More often located at the point of division of the trachea, it can be formed from any formations. The disease is divided into spindle cell and round cell sarcoma.
Carcinoid is a passively growing formation that arises from the neuroendocrine tissues of the mucosa.
There are also more rare forms of oncology, namely hemangiopericytoma, hemangioendothelioma, malignant neurofibroma.
Symptoms of tracheal cancer
The manifestations of tracheal cancer depend on the formation, direction of growth, narrowing of the lumen of the trachea:
the initial stage passes without symptoms, because the body has already adapted to the systematic narrowing of the trachea and increasing hypoxia;
primary symptoms are formed when the narrowing is more than two-thirds, while shortness of breath is detected, aggravated after physical exertion and with respiratory ailments;
sleep dysfunction occurs due to suffocation;
there are frequent situations when people are faced with a dry, prolonged cough, which is forced by a change in body posture. Even experts take this condition for bronchitis or asthma, as a result of which they stipulate a course from such ailments;
sputum is detected, if the decay of the formation is diagnosed, then an unpleasant odor will join;
more than half of patients have streaks or a small amount of blood in sputum, they sometimes cough up parts of the tumor. This is accompanied by relief of respiratory functions;
in the case of a formation on the back of the trachea, there are complaints of difficulty in swallowing.
Causes of tracheal cancer
Common causes of tracheal cancer are:
age category over 40 years. In most cases, people from 40 to 60 years old face the presented disease, but this age limit is gradually decreasing;
belonging to the male sex, while women suffer from it much less often;
addiction to smoking also provokes the formation of tracheal cancer due to the ratio of carcinogenic substances;
genetic predisposition, even if it belongs to less close relatives;
the presence of a virus such as human papilloma;
the influence of increased doses of radiation, for example, radiation therapy in the process of treating formations of conjugated organs;
specific factors: the presence of nickel industry, specific dust, asbestos in the nearby area.
Treatment of tracheal cancer
The treatment of this disease is combined: removal of the tumor with further radiation therapy. Such an intervention involves cutting out the resulting formation within other cells. With circular spread, resection of the trachea of the transverse type is allowed, after which its ends approach each other and are sutured.
The admissibility of the operation depends solely on the location of the formation: the lower it is, the more difficult it will be to carry out the operation. If it is not possible to completely get rid of the formation, then a palliative operation is performed. The tracheofissure is most often performed: the annular parts of the trachea are cut, after which the trachea is removed using either forceps or an electric knife.
Tracheostomy. If the disease is in a neglected state, then the operation is limited exclusively to a tracheostomy. But this simple operation from a technical point of view in patients who suffer from tracheal cancer can be associated with a whole list of dangers. If the formation occupies a significant part of the organ, then you have to breathe through a narrow gap with a specific head position. A change in this position and the introduction of a tube through the resulting formations can provoke the death of the patient. In this regard, everything is carried out in a semi-sitting position, and the incision is made below the location of the formation.
Cricotomy. When this seems impossible, the operation begins with a cricotomy: the larynx is cut along the middle line, while it turns out to be feasible to visualize the formation and the place through which the person breathes. A long tube is inserted into this gap, which goes directly into the bronchi. After that, it is permissible to carry out subsequent manipulations.
Radiation therapy is the only way to treat such patients whose cancer resolves with a tumor growing into organs and tissues. However, due to the active effect of specific radiation on the chest area during radiation therapy at a distance, the total focal dose should not exceed 60 Gy.
Chemotherapy is not effective in oncology of the trachea, and therefore is not practiced. Thus, it is extremely important to detect tracheal cancer in time in order to carry out such a treatment that will be truly effective.