Tracheobronchial adenoid cystic carcinoma: 50-year experience at the National Cancer Center, China

Abstract Background Only a small series of studies has investigated primary tracheobronchial adenoid cystic carcinoma (TACC), and its prognosis and prognostic factors have not been well defined. Methods Patients with TACC diagnosed histologically between January 1967 and December 2017 at our institution were retrospectively analyzed. Results A total of 191 consecutive patients were included in our study. One hundred sixty-three patients underwent surgery, while the remaining 28 patients received nonoperative therapy. The 5-, 10-, and 20-year survival rates of the surgical group were 85.00%, 63.40%, and 47.00%, while the 5- and 10-year survival rates of the nonoperative group were 63.70% and 46.40%, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that the complaint duration ( 3 cm) and treatment methods were independent prognostic factors for the overall survival. Sixty-four (45.1%) patients in the R0/1 group experienced recurrence/progression, and compared with chemotherapy or supportive treatment, local treatment significantly improved the prognosis of these patients ( P Conclusions The complaint duration and tumor size are independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival and overall survival in TACC, respectively. Complete resection of the primary tumor, postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy for patients with positive margins, and local treatment after postoperative recurrence/progression may contribute to better survival.