Clinical Study of Airway Stent Implantation in the Treatment of Patients with Malignant Central Airway Obstruction

BACKGROUND: Airway stenting is a therapeutic option for malignant central airway obstructions (MCAO), including both intraluminal and extraluminal obstructions. The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical features and results of long-term improved prognosis for MCAO patients after airway stent implantation. METHODS: Ninety-eight MCAO patients who underwent stent placement in our hospital from January 2013 to April 2020 were included in this study. The data included baseline data, clinical characteristics, laboratory test data, stent implantation data, and treatment as well as survival after stent implantation. The survival rates among individuals were compared via log-rank tests. Potential prognostic factors were identified using multivariate cox hazard regression models. RESULTS: A retrospective analysis of these patients was generated. MCAO was mainly caused by lung cancer (53/98, 54.08%), esophageal cancer (22/98, 22.45%), and thyroid cancer (3/98, 3.06%). The median survival time of participants was 5.5 months. Univariate analysis indicated that the survival rate was related to primary disease, ECOG PS score, stent site, hemoglobin (Hb), albumin (ALB), and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P < 0.05). The cox risk regression model showed that the survival rate was significantly influenced by ECOG PS score (OR = 3.468, 95%CI = 1.426–8.432, P = 0.006) and stent site (OR = 1.544, 95%CI = 1.057–2.255, P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the site of stent placement, the ECOG PS score is the primary factor in the survival rate of MCAO patients after airway stenting.