Abstract

Central airway obstruction (CAO) is ominous sequelae of malignancies of the neck or thorax. Tumor spread to adjacent tissues causes risk of airway compromise due to either extrinsic compression by tumor mass or intra tracheal infiltration leading to complete airway obstruction. Stenting of the airway as a palliative measure, in patients likely to develop CAO can greatly improve the quality of their lives. We describe a challenging case each of anaplastic thyroid cancer and cancer esophagus with central airway obstruction managed successfully by palliative tracheal stenting.

Keywords: Central airway obstruction; Cancer esophagus; Thyroid cancer; Stenting