Treatment of tracheal tumors.

The evidence for the treatment of tracheal tumors rests on a small number of single-institution series, national surveys, and epidemiologic studies. From this evidence, the following observations have been made: tracheal tumors are rare and must be identified among a much larger number of metastatic malignant tracheal lesions; most tracheal tumors are malignant; most tracheal tumors in selected series are resectable; and survival after resection exceeds survival after nonoperative treatment, even if resection margins are close. A discussion of evaluation and treatment of these tumors in this review proceeds along a systematic series of questions.