Fiberoptic bronchoscopic cryo-ablation of central bronchial lung cancer

BackgroundRadiotherapy and chemotherapy are the standard palliative treatments in patients with inoperable carcinoma of the lung present with obstruction of the central airway but have limited effectiveness in reopening obstructed airways. Cryosurgery is one of the several techniques that can be used to reopen an obstructed tracheobronchial lumen.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate safety and clinical efficacy of flexible cryoprobe as an important option to treat the patients with inoperable obstructive central bronchial lung tumors.Patients and methodsThis study was conducted on 38 patients with central endobronchial malignant tumor. A flexible cryoprobe was used during flexible bronchoscopy. The endobronchial tumors and symptoms were assessed 2 and 6 weeks after cryotherapy.ResultsAfter 6 weeks, the endobronchial lesions were completely removed in 32/38 patients (∼85%), partly removed in 4/38 patients (∼10%), and could not be removed in 2/38 patients (∼5%), with a symptomatic improvement in dyspnea, cough and hemoptysis 78%, 63.0%, 85% after 2 weeks and up to 89%, 84.0%, 100% after 6 weeks respectively.ConclusionCryotherapy using fiberoptic bronchoscopy is a safe with a high efficacy technique in treating endobronchial malignant obstructive lesions.