ObjectiveTo assess the efficiency, safety and long-term prognosis for interventional bronchoscopy in the treatment of trachea invasion by thyroid cancer. MethodsThe clinical data of forty-three patients with trachea invasion by thyroid cancer in Changhai Hospital from January 2006 to September 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. The trachea diameter and dyspnea score were compared before and after interventional treatment to explore the efficiency. The complications during and after therapy were observed. All patients were treated with interventional modalities including electrocautery, argon plasma coagulation, laser, cryotherapy, stent insertion or radioactive seeds implantation according to different invasion types, degree of stenosis and base situation. ResultsThe trachea diameter increased from (3.9±1.5)mm to (10.6±0.6)mm after bronchoscopy therapy (t=-17.314, P < 0.000 1). The dyspnea score decreased from 3.3±0.7 to 2.3±0.7 after bronchoscopy therapy (t=9.274, P < 0.000 1). The complications during therapy included haemorrhage (46.5%), vocal cord paralysis (4.7%) and glottis edema (7.0%). The restenosis rate in the patients with stent insertion was 26.7%. Thirty-seven patients were followed up successfully, and the medium survival time for follow-up patients was 27 months. The univariate and multivariate analysis indicated that the kind of interventional modalities used for therapy was an independent prognostic factor of survival (HR=0.261, P=0.036). The medium survival time for the patients treated with≥3 methods, 2 methods and 1 method was 47 months, 36 months and 13 months, respectively. ConclusionsFor trachea invasion by thyroid cancer, bronchoscopic therapy can effectively relieve airway obstruction and dyspnea symptom. Combination of multiple interventional modalities could have a favorable prognosis after treatment.