Treatment of Advanced Central Lung Cancer by Bronchoscope-Guided Interventional Cryotherapy

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the curative effect of the bronchoscope-guided interventional cryotherapy in the treatment of stenosis and obstruction of the airway, due to the advanced central lung cancer. A total of 20 cases of advanced central lung cancer were treated by 38 cycles of cryotherapy; the symptoms, as seen under the bronchoscope, were compared before and after treatment, so as to observe the curative effect. For all the subjects, there were the varying degrees of alleviation of cough, hemoptysis and dyspnea after treatment, disappearance of original obstructive pneumonia and pulmonary atelectasis, and the re-deoppilation of tracheal cavity. Ten subjects (50%) enjoyed the complete remission (CR), and nine subjects (45%) enjoyed the partial remission (PR), while only one subject showed no remission (NR), achieving a total efficiency of 95%. The bronchoscope-guided cryotherapy can be used for the treatment of endoluminal central lung cancer; it is able to reduce the size of the tumor, control the obstructive pneumonia, and improve hemoptysis and dyspnea, thereby significantly enhancing the patients' quality of life. When used for the treatment of narrow or obstructive central lung cancer in the airway, this therapeutic method is also safe and effective without obvious complication and adverse reaction. It provides a new choice for the treatment of lung cancer.