OBJECTIVETo evaluate the method and effectiveness of rigid-bronchoscopic cryosurgery for advanced central lung cancer.

METHODSForty-eight patients were enrolled in this study from June 2002 to December 2008, including 33 male and 15 female. The average age was 70 years (ranged from 45 to 83 years old). For the 48 patients, 38 cases were patients with advanced central lung cancer who were not suitable for surgery, and the remaining 10 cases were patients with local recurrence in trachea or main bronchus postoperatively. Cryosurgery was performed 120 times for all patients, 2.5 times per patient on average. The trachea or bronchus station, symptom such as dyspnea, hemoptysis, respiratory function and quality of life were observed.

RESULTSThe unblocked ratio of trachea and bronchi was 97%. All patients got satisfied improvement ratio of symptoms, 87.5% for dyspnea, 72.9% for cough, 93.8% for hemoptysis and 62.5% for chest pain. Respiratory function tests showed that both the mean forced expiratory volume in first second and forced vital capacity got an improvement from (1.03+/-0.05) L to (1.85+/-0.13) L and from (1.69+/-0.18) L to (2.96+/-0.14) L respectively (P<0.01). Karnofsky score also got no less than 20 scores improvement. The Follow-up time was 6 to 62 months. The longest survival was 62 months. The median survival time was 20 months. There was no severe perioperative complications and mortality except for 3 cases of moderate exeduation.

CONCLUSIONSCryosurgery is easy to perform with minimal complications. Not only could it provide an effective and rapid control of symptoms caused by central lung cancer, it could also unobstructed bronchus promptly and improve patients' quality of life.