SAN FRANCISCO – Only one-quarter of patients with nonmetastatic tracheal cancer underwent resection, according to research presented at the annual clinical congress of the American College of Surgeons. The researchers also found that patients were more likely to undergo resection if they traveled a farther distance to the hospital.
Dathe Benissan-Messan, MD, is a general surgery resident at the Ohio State University, Columbus. In the study, he and his colleagues reviewed data for 1,379 patients with nonmetastatic tracheal cancer. They report that in all, 338 patients underwent resection.
In a multivariate logistics regression analysis, the researchers report that patients were more likely to undergo resection if they were younger, had a higher education level, and presented with a tumor less than 5 cm.
Dr. Benissan-Messan also reported in a presentation patients who travel more than 45 km for treatment were also more likely to undergo resection.
Dr. Benissan-Messan and his coauthor Pete Kneuertz, MD, also of Ohio State, said that this finding could suggest that the key to primary treatment for tracheal cancer could center on access to care.
Dr. Benissan-Messan and Dr. Kneuertz spoke with MDedge about their findings and about the challenges facing treatment of this disease.