BACKGROUND: Temporary stenting is a new strategy in the treatment of malignant airway stenoses. Patients receive stents as primary palliation followed by tumor-specific therapy in order to reduce the stenosis and subsequently remove the stent. METHODS: We investigated this strategy of temporary airway stenting in 5 consecutive patients with malignant lymphoma (Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, n = 3; Hodgkin's lymphoma, n = 2) who presented with severe dyspnoea. Nine stents (six Strecker, three Dumon stents) were implanted into the trachea or main bronchi. After stenting, patients underwent tumor-specific therapy (chemotherapy, n = 4; percutaneous radiotherapy, n = 1). RESULTS: Clinical improvement of dyspnoea and stridor was observed in each patient after stent implantation. In 4 patients (80%), stents could easily be removed after successful tumor-specific therapy, which led to reduction of stenosis after a mean interval of 26 days (14 to 52 days). One patient died during chemotherapy 6 days after stenting. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that temporary stenting is a valuable strategy in chemo- and radiosensitive malignancies, as it ameliorates the patients' respiratory condition until tumor-specific therapy is effective, and prevents poststenotic complications. It integrates stent implantation in a multi-therapy concept.
BACKGROUND: Temporary stenting is a new strategy in the treatment of malignant airway stenoses. Patients receive stents as primary palliation followed by tumor-specific therapy in order to reduce the stenosis and subsequently remove the stent. METHODS: We investigated this strategy of temporary airway stenting in 5 consecutive patients with malignant lymphoma (Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, n = 3; Hodgkin's lymphoma, n = 2) who presented with severe dyspnoea. Nine stents (six Strecker, three Dumon stents) were implanted into the trachea or main bronchi. After stenting, patients underwent tumor-specific therapy (chemotherapy, n = 4; percutaneous radiotherapy, n = 1). RESULTS: Clinical improvement of dyspnoea and stridor was observed in each patient after stent implantation. In 4 patients (80%), stents could easily be removed after successful tumor-specific therapy, which led to reduction of stenosis after a mean interval of 26 days (14 to 52 days). One patient died during chemotherapy 6 days after stenting. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that temporary stenting is a valuable strategy in chemo- and radiosensitive malignancies, as it ameliorates the patients' respiratory condition until tumor-specific therapy is effective, and prevents poststenotic complications. It integrates stent implantation in a multi-therapy concept.
Authors: Seth J Rotz; Francisco A Almeida; Shlomo Koyfman; Sudhir Krishnan; Guramrinder Singh Thind; William Phillips; James Yun; Anthony Zembillas; Mark Zahniser; Alejandro Bribriesco Journal: Pediatr Blood Cancer Date: 2020-07-16 Impact factor: 3.167