Kewane Childs, a 44-year-old female, has a history of smoking cigarettes for 15 years; she quit last year. Kewane sees Dr. Cope for a dry cough, hoarse voice, and coughing up blood. Dr. Cope notes crepitation and dyspnea. Kewane is admitted to the hospital. The MRI scan and lung function tests confirm a diagnosis of neoplasm of the trachea, malignant primary.

Tracheal cancer is a rare cancer that starts in the trachea. It is most commonly manifested as squamous cell carcinoma (especially in men over 60), but adenoid cystic carcinoma, for example, is also found in the trachea.

Typical symptoms of tracheal cancer include difficulty breathing and swallowing, dry cough, haemorrhage, hoarseness, fever, chills and recurrent infections of the chest. Symptoms are also common in many benign diseases. The main treatments for tracheal cancer are surgery and radiation. Chemotherapy is usually given for palliative purposes, to relieve symptoms.

Tracheal cancer accounts for 0.02-0.04% of reported cancers. The prognosis for the disease is generally poor; Between 5 and 35% of patients live 5 years after diagnosis.