Treatment of childhood tracheobronchial tumors

There are different types of treatment for children and adolescents with tracheobronchial tumors. You and your child's care team will work together to decide treatment. Many factors will be considered, such as your child's overall health and whether the tumor is newly diagnosed or has come back after treatment.

Your child's treatment plan will include information about the tumor, the goals of treatment, treatment options, and the possible side effects. It will be helpful to talk with your child's care team before treatment begins about what to expect. For help every step of the way, see our booklet, Children with Cancer: A Guide for Parents.

For all tracheobronchial tumors except rhabdomyosarcoma, treatment might include surgery to remove the tumor. The lymph nodes and vessels where cancer has spread are also removed. Sometimes a surgery called a sleeve resection is done.

For rhabdomyosarcoma in the trachea or bronchi, treatment might include:

Learn more about Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma Treatment.

For inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors in the trachea or bronchi, in addition to surgery, treatment may include targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells. Crizotinib may be used if the tumor has a certain change in the ALK gene. Learn more about Targeted Therapy to Treat Cancer.

If the cancer comes back after treatment, your child's doctor will talk with you about what to expect and possible next steps. There might be treatment options that may shrink the cancer or control its growth. If there are no treatments, your child can receive care to control symptoms from cancer so they can be as comfortable as possible.