Experience in surgical treatment of papillary thyroid cancer with spread to the trachea («window» and circular resection)

Abstract

Compared to most malignant tumors, papillary thyroid cancer (PST) is associated with favorable survival and low recurrence rates. Prognostic factors for thyroid cancer include age, sex, tumor size, the presence of metastases in the lymph nodes of the neck, and the spread of the tumor beyond the thyroid capsule. Extrathyroid invasion of cancer into the trachea is a marker of more aggressive tumor behavior, determining a subpopulation of patients at greater risk of recurrence and death. The paper presents 2 cases of surgical treatment of advanced papillary thyroid cancer with ingrowth into the trachea. The performance of this or that type of surgery depends on the location and extent of the tumor invasion of this organ. In the first case, the socalled «window» tracheal resection was performed, in the second – circular resection with the imposition of an intertracheal anastomosis. This clinical case indicates the possibilities of using modern surgical techniques for locally advanced malignant thyroid tumors, which make it possible to achieve long-term remission of the disease.