Early Glottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma Research Articles

Daily fraction dose-adjusted radiotherapy policy to avoid prolonging the overall treatment time for early glottic squamous cell carcinoma: a single-institutional retrospective study.

The objective of this study was to determine the outcomes of radical radiotherapy for early glottic squamous cell carcinoma (EGSCC) with the policy of increasing the fraction size during radiotherapy when the overall treatment time (OTT) was expected to be prolonged. Patients diagnosed with clinical T1-2N0M0 EGSCC, who were treated with radical radiotherapy between 2008 and 2019 at Hokkaido University Hospital, were included. Patients received 66Gy in 33 fractions for T1 disease and 70Gy in 35 fractions for T2 disease as our standard regimen (usual group [UG]). If the OTT was expected to extend for >1 week, the dose fraction size was increased from 2.0to 2.5Gy from the beginning or during radiotherapy (adjusted group [AG]). At this time, we performed a statistical analysis between UG and AG. In total, 116 patients were identified, and the treatment schedules of 29 patients were adjusted. The median follow-up was 60.9months. In the T1 group, the cumulative 5-year local failure rate was 12.0% in the AG and 15.4% in the UG, and in the T2 group, the rate was 40.7% in the AG and 25.3% in the UG. There were no significant differences between the AG and UG. Similarly, no significant differences were observed for overall survival and progression-free survival rates. Our single-institutional retrospective analysis of EGSCC patients suggested that a method of adjusting the radiotherapy schedule to increase fraction size from the beginning or during the course may be effective in maintaining treatment outcomes.

Optimized radiotherapy treatment strategy for early glottic carcinoma.

The local control rates of T1 bulky and T2 glottic carcinoma treated via radiation therapy alone are unsatisfactory; thus, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of our treatment protocol for early glottic carcinoma. Patients with early glottic squamous cell carcinoma treated via radiation therapy from January 2007 to November 2019 were reviewed. Patients were treated with: 63-67.5 Gy/28-30 fractions of radiation therapy alone for T1 non-bulky; concurrent chemoradiotherapy with S-1 and 60 Gy/30 fractions for T1 bulky and T2 favorable; and concurrent chemoradiotherapy with high-dose cisplatin and 66-70 Gy/33-35 fractions for T2 unfavorable glottic carcinoma. Local failure rates were estimated using the cumulative incidence function, overall and disease specific survival rates were estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and adverse events were evaluated. Eighty patients were analyzed; the median age was 69.5 (range, 26-90) years, the median follow-up time for survivors was 40.1 (range, 1.9-128.4) months, and the 3-year local failure, disease specific survival, and overall survival rates were 5.8%, 98.3%, and 94.4%, respectively. In T1 bulky and T2 cases, the local failure rate was significantly lower in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy than in the radiation therapy alone group. Grade 3 acute dermatitis and mucositis were noted in nine and four patients, respectively. There were no acute adverse events of Grade 4 or higher, or late adverse events of Grade 2 or higher. The treatment protocol was effective and well-tolerated; thus, the efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy was suggested in T1 bulky and T2 cases.

To Study the Role of PTEN, EGFR and HER2 in Early Glottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Laryngeal carcinoma is the most common site of malignancy in head and neck region worldwide. Surgical options are limited in cases of laryngeal malignancy and moajority of cases are treated with chemoradiotherapy. Targeted therapy is an evolving novel approach to treat laryngeal carcinoma. The study was conducted to evaluate the role of PTEN, EGF and HER2 in early glottic squamous cell carcinoma cases. 52 samples of early glottis carcoinoma were collected in UCMS and GTB hospital, New Delhi after patients had undergone CO2 laser excision at the centre. Histopathologic and IHC examination was conducted on the specimen for PTEN, EGFR and HER2 molecules. PTEN was negative in 82.69% cases compared to the stroma with three year local control rate of 72.09%. EGFR was positive in 67.31% samples with three year local control rate of 68.57%. HER2 was negative in all the samples. PTEN and EGFR can be used as prognostic markers as well as novel agents for targeted therapy in the future.

Pathologically Negative Excision for Biopsy-Proven Early Glottic Carcinoma.

In certain instances, patients who underwent endoscopic laser excision (ELE) for biopsy-proven early glottic carcinoma do not show any evidence of carcinomatous cells on histopathologic analysis. Our study aims to determine the incidence of this phenomenon. A retrospective analysis of patients with biopsy-proven early glottic squamous cell carcinoma who underwent ELE was conducted. 121 patients with a mean age of 68.2 ± 10.7 were included in this study. Initial biopsy showed carcinoma in situ in 38 patients, (31.4%), T1a in 41 patients (33.9%), and T1b in 42 patients (34.7%). Following ELE, a pathologically negative excision was seen in 26 patients (21.5%). Disease recurrence occurred in 3 patients who had a pathologically negative excision (11.5%). Following repeat ELE, all patients remained disease free. A significant number of early glottic carcinoma present with small volume disease which may be eradicated with diagnostic biopsy alone.

Comparison of Oncologic Outcomes Between Radiation Therapy and Transoral Laser Microsurgery for Early Glottic and Supraglottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma; a Retrospective Cohort Study with Literature Review

Background: Laryngeal cancer is known as the second most common airway cancer. These tumors are usually diagnosed early; thus, it is important to choose the optimal treatment modality. Several studies are comparing transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) and radiotherapy in early-stage laryngeal cancer. Due to a paucity of high-quality research and the lack of conclusive randomized prospective studies, standard care for early glottic cancer is still a matter of controversy. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, T1-T2N0M0 laryngeal cancer patients who underwent TLM or radiotherapy were compared with statistical methods in terms of Recurrence Rate, Organ (Larynx) Preservation Rate, Mortality Rate, and Overall Survival. Results: A total of 123 patients were evaluated in this study, 65 of whom underwent TLM and 58 underwent radiotherapy. There was no significant difference in demographic and medical characteristics of patients. The rate of recurrence was 27.3% in the TLM group and 43.6% in the radiotherapy group. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.114). Overall mortality rate (5.4% vs 39.6%, P = 0.001), Disease-specific mortality rate (5.5% vs 39.9%, P = 0.001), and aorgan preservation rate (98.5%vs 89.7%, P = 0.035) were all in favor of TLM. Conclusions: TLM appears to be the treatment of choice in patients with early laryngeal cancer due to a better overall survival rate, lower disease-specific mortality rate, and better organ preservation rate than definitive radiotherapy.

Effect of treatment modality on the long-term survival of patients with early glottic squamous cancer: a retrospective cohort study based on the SEER database.

BackgroundThe optimal treatment strategy for patients with early glottic (T1–2N0M0) squamous cancer remains unclear.MethodsA retrospective population-based analysis was performed using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance treatment arms, and Cox regression analysis was used to determine prognostic factors for survival. Kaplan-Meier analysis, log-rank tests, and competing risk analysis were used to compare survival outcomes between treatment modalities (surgery vs. radiotherapy).ResultsAmong the 3,994 eligible patients in this study, surgery was associated with improved cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) compared with radiotherapy (log-rank test, P<0.05). This survival trend favoring surgery was consistent in the T1a, well/moderately differentiated grade, male, and all age subgroups. However, after the baseline characteristics were balanced with PSM, the survival outcomes (CSS and OS) did not differ significantly between the surgery and radiotherapy groups. Interestingly, surgery was associated with a 39% reduced risk of cancer-related death compared with radiotherapy in patients aged ≥70 years (hazard ratio 0.61; 95% CI: 0.43–0.87; P=0.006). However, this survival trend favoring surgery was not observed in younger patients (age <70 years), T stage subgroups, male or female subgroups, or in any of the pathological grade subgroups.ConclusionsIn patients with early glottic squamous cell carcinoma undergoing surgery or radiotherapy, there is no sufficient evidence favoring one method over another in terms of survival. However, surgery is recommended in patients aged ≥70 years because, in this group, it was associated with improved survival outcomes compared with radiotherapy.

Single Stage Transoral Cordectomy and Medialization Thyroplasty in Early Glottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report

ABSTRACT&#x0D; Objective: To present the case of a 78-year-old man with Glottic SCCa stage I who underwent single stage transoral cordectomy type IV with medialization thyroplasty under general anesthesia.&#x0D; Methods:&#x0D; Design: Case Report&#x0D; Setting: Tertiary Government Training Hospital&#x0D; Patient: One&#x0D; Results: Postoperatively, patient was able to phonate and gave a VHI score of 12 and GRBAS score of 4. He was able to resume oral feeding without any signs of aspiration. Postoperative flexible laryngoscopy showed fully mobile vocal cords with good approximation in the midline.&#x0D; Conclusion: This report suggests that vocal cord medialization via thyroplasty may be performed after cordectomy in a single stage, providing acceptable postoperative voice as well as good swallowing outcome

English

BACKGROUND The standard conventional radiation schedule for early laryngeal cancer is 64 - 70 Gy in 2 Gy per fraction over 6.5 - 7 weeks. Hypofractionated radiotherapy in early laryngeal cancer allows delivery of larger dose per fraction (fraction size) in decreased overall treatment time with improved local control and similar survival rates. Reduction in treatment time also optimizes the usage of radiotherapy resources. The purpose of this study was to estimate the local control rates, survival rates and toxicity profile of hypofractionated radiotherapy of 52.5 Gy in 15 fractions for early glottic cancer. METHODS Twenty-eight patients with early glottic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) treated with hypofractionated definitive radiotherapy from June 2015 to December 2019 were analyzed. The median age was 61 years. Total dose of 52.5 Gy in 15 fractions was delivered over three-four weeks with a fraction size of 3.5 Gy. The median follow-up period was 23.8 months. RESULTS The 5-year local control rates were 96.4 % with one recurrence. The 5-year overall survival rate was 100 % and cause specific survival at 5 years was 100 %. There was no association of T1 sub staging, T2 (P - 0.40) and no significant association of anterior commissure involvement (P = 0.408, chi square value = 3.982) and pretreatment haemoglobin (P - 0.480) on local control. Late complications include laryngeal oedema (21.5 %), altered thyroid function (3.6 %), cardiac complication (3.6 %) and altered voice quality (14.3 %).There was no association of local control with field size (FS) (P = 0.812), beam energy (P = 0.098 ) overall treatment time of less than thirty days (P - 0.747). CONCLUSIONS Local control with hypofractionated radiotherapy for early laryngeal glottis squamous cell carcinoma is excellent with no severe complications. The short overall treatment time enables channelling of radiotherapy resources in low budget countries with long wait list for radiation. KEYWORDS Early Laryngeal Cancer, Glottic Cancer, Hypofractionated Radiotherapy, Overall Treatment Time.

Carbon dioxide transoral laser microsurgery – the gold standard for early glottic laryngeal carcinomas?

Early glottic squamous cell carcinoma (Tis–T1) is a highly treatable disease by any of the main treatment methods available. Carbon dioxide transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) and radiotherapy (RT) are considered the two main treatment methods for early glottic carcinomas. However, the both treatment strategies have advantages and disadvantages. TLM is by many authors described as the gold standard mainly due to better overall survival, shorter hospitalization, lower morbidity, and arguably better functional outcomes compared to those of RT. Furthermore, TLM as a primary treatment strategy leaves open all treatment options in patients with recurrent disease.

Oncological, Surgical and Functional Outcomes of Transoral Robotic Cordectomy for Early Glottic Carcinoma

To investigate oncological, surgical and functional outcomes of transoral robotic surgery cordectomy (TORS-Co). A retrospective chart review of patients benefiting from TORS-Co for a cT1a vocal fold squamous cell carcinoma was conducted at a single academic medical center. TORS-Co was performed through da Vinci robot. The following outcomes were studied: preoperative and operative exposures; feasibility; conversion rate; average robotic set-up and operative times; margin status; postoperative complications; tracheotomy and feeding tube requirement. The medical record data of 12 patients were collected. Among them, two patients were excluded because the laryngeal exposition was not adequate. From the 10 included patients, TORS-Co was not performed in three patients. The tumor was not exposable regarding anatomical conditions in two patients, while the size of the robot arms did not allow an adequate exposure in another patient. TORS-Co was performed in the remaining seven patients without transient tracheotomy or feeding tube. The mean estimated blood loss was 20 mL. The average robotic set-up and operative times were 26 minutes and 30 minutes, respectively. The mean hospital stay was 2 days. The margins were not analyzable regarding the use of the monopolar. Two patients reported postoperative complications, while five required class 2 analgesics for postoperative pain. The mean duration of follow-up was 44 months (minimum duration of 36 months). One recurrence occurred 2 years post-surgery. The recurrence was successfully treated by transoral laser CO2 microsurgery. The exposure of the laryngeal surgical field is the primary limitation of TORS-Co. TORS-Co may not report better oncological and functional outcomes than transoral laser CO2 microsurgery, which remains the gold standard surgical approach for early glottic squamous cell carcinoma.

Dual-energy CT for differentiating early glottic squamous cell carcinoma from chronic inflammation and leucoplakia of vocal cord: comparison with simulated conventional 120 kVp CT

To evaluate the value of dual-energy (DE) computed tomography (CT) in discriminating early glottic squamous cell carcinoma (eGSCC) from chronic inflammation and leucoplakia of the vocal cord, and to compare the diagnostic efficiency of DECT with that of simulated conventional 120 kVp CT. Seventy patients with glottic lesions confirmed by histopathology (38 cases with eGSCC, 11 cases with chronic inflammation, 21 cases with leucoplakia) were enrolled in this prospective study. The DECT-derived parameters were measured and compared using independent sample t-test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance, and comparison of the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was made using the Z test to further select the best diagnostic parameters. Significantly higher iodine concentration (IC), normalised IC (NIC), effective atomic number (Zeff), 40-100 keV (20 keV-interval), slope(k), and Mix-0.3 values were found in eGSCC than those in chronic inflammation, leucoplakia, and inflammation+leucoplakia (all p<0.05). Compared with attenuation measurement of simulated conventional 120 kVp CT, the NIC, 60 keV values derived from DECT showed significantly higher AUC in discriminating these glottic lesions (p<0.05). DECT is more accurate for differentiating eGSCC from chronic inflammation and leucoplakia when compared with simulated conventional 120 kVp CT.

Radiotherapy Versus Surgery-Which Is Better for Patients With T1-2N0M0 Glottic Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma? Individualized Survival Prediction Based on Web-Based Nomograms.

BackgroundBoth radiotherapy and surgery are now recommended for early stage glottic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), and both have their own advantages in patients with different characteristics. For each patient, it is hard to determine whether radiotherapy or surgery is more appropriate.MethodsPatients with T1-2N0M0 glottic LSCC who received radiotherapy or surgery in the 2004–2016 SEER database were reviewed, then randomly divided into training and validation cohorts. Propensity score matching was used to eliminate the baseline variations, and competing risk analyses helped to exclude the effects of other causes of death. Based on univariate and multivariate analyses, we built two nomograms to visually predict the survival of each patient with different characteristics who received radiotherapy or surgery, then validated the accuracy in both training and validation cohorts. Using nomogramEx, we quantified the algorithms of the nomograms and put the nomograms on the websites.ResultsA total of 6538 patients in the SEER database were included. We found that therapy (p = 0.004), T stage (p < 0.001), age (p < 0.001), race (p < 0.044), grade (p = 0.001), and marital status (p < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors. Two nomograms were built to calculate the survival for each patient who received radiotherapy (C-index = 0.668 ± 0.050 in the training cohort and 0.578 ± 0.028 in the validation cohort) or underwent surgery (C-index = 0.772 ± 0.045 in the training cohort and 0.658 ± 0.090 in the validation cohort). Calibration plots showed the accuracy of the nomograms. Using the nomograms, we found that 3872 patients (59.22%) had no difference between the two therapies, 706 patients (10.80%) who received radiotherapy had better survival outcomes, and 1960 patients (29.98%) who underwent surgery had better survival outcome.ConclusionNomograms were used to comprehensively calculate independent factors to determine which treatment (radiotherapy or surgery) is better for each patient. A website was used to offer guidance regarding surgery or radiation for patients and physicians.

Comparison of Three Fractionation Schedules in Radiotherapy for Early Glottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Radiotherapy is widely accepted as the treatment of choice for early glottic squamous cell carcinoma (EGSCC), although it varies greatly with respect to dose, dose per fraction, and treatment techniques. The study aim was to evaluate the use of accelerated fractionation strategy (AFS) for EGSCC in standard clinical practice. Patients treated with definitive radiotherapy for EGSCC between 2008 and 2019 were retrospectively identified and received either conventional fractionation, hypofractionation, or hyperfractionation. One hundred six patients were analyzed, and 19, 71, and 16 patients underwent conventional fractionation, hypofractionation, and hyperfractionation, respectively. The median follow-up was 56 months. The 5-year local control and overall survival rates were 79% and 83%; 78% and 79%; and 87% and 77%, respectively, and no significant difference was observed between the fractionation schedules. Our findings confirmed the utility of AFS in standard clinical practice and support its use for patients with EGSCC.

Oncological outcomes of early stage glottic squamous cell carcinoma treated with transoral laser microsurgery.

The records of patients treated with TLM with previously untreated early stage glottic squamous cell carcinoma were reviewed. A total of 201 patients were enrolled: 191 men (95.0%) and 10 women (4.98%). The anterior commissure (AC) was involved in 94 (47.8%) patients. The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of all patients were 94.5% and 90.9%. The local recurrence rates were 30.8% in the AC involvement (AC+) group and 16.0% in the group without AC involvement (AC-). The mortality rates were 18.1% and 3.7% in the AC+ and AC- groups. The 3- and 5-year disease-free survival rates were lower in the AC+ group (89.1%, 82.5%) than that in AC- group (99.0%, 96.5%). Local recurrence rates were 25%, 22.7%, 23.4%, and 22.1% for Tis, T1a, T1b, and T2 lesions. The mortality rates were 0.0%, 4.6%, 12.8%, and 15.3%. Three- and 5-year disease-free survival rates did not differ significantly between the tumor stage subgroups. The mortality for patients with local recurrence was 22.2%, which was higher than that for those without recurrence. The organ preservation rate was 98.5%. This study was to assess the rates of oncological outcomes in patients with early stage glottic squamous cell carcinoma treated with transoral laser microsurgery (TLM). AC involvement was a predictor of local recurrence, and its presence was associated with a reduced survival rate and increased mortality after TLM. TLM got high survival rate and low recurrence rate. The staging and oncological outcomes did not differ between tumor stage subgroups.

Prognostic significance of surgical margins after transoral laser microsurgery for early-stage glottic squamous cell carcinoma

ObjectivesThe impact of positive tumor margin status and other clinicopathological factors on prognosis in early stage glottic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) treated with transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) remains unclear. This study examined overall survival (OS) rates of patients with positive tumor margin status compared to negative tumor margin status after TLM in clinical T1-2 glottic SCC. Materials and MethodsThe National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) was queried for patients who underwent resection of T1-2 glottic SCC by TLM. Patients were treated from 2004 to 2013. Overall survival was assessed with Kaplan-Meier curve analysis, and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis. Differences in clinicopathologic factors between positive and negative margin groups were compared using Pearson Chi-squared analysis. ResultsOf 747 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 598 (80.1%) had negative margins. Median follow-up time was 48.0 months. Unadjusted 5-year OS for positive margins (80.0%) was lower compared to that of negative tumor margins (82.9%), but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.265). This persisted after multivariate analysis (P = 0.960). When tumors were stratified by T stage (647 T1, 100 T2), unadjusted 5-year OS based on margin status remained statistically insignificant for both T1 (P = 0.933) and T2 tumors (P = 0.350). ConclusionPositive margins did not negatively impact overall survival among patients with TLM-treated early-stage glottic cancer. This finding might be useful clinically in deciding treatment modality for early stage glottic SCC.

Early glottic cancer in a veteran population: Impact of race on management and outcomes.

Multiple population studies have shown racial discrepancies in head and neck cancer treatment and outcomes. We sought to characterize the impact of race on clinical outcomes for patients with early glottic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in a tertiary institution which provides equivalent access to care. We retrospectively reviewed all early glottic (T1-T2) squamous cell carcinoma at a single institution, the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans' Administration Medical Center (MEDVAMC). Data collected included demographic information, primary and adjuvant treatment modalities, time to diagnosis, time to treatment, recurrences, recurrence treatment modality, secondary malignancies, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS). One hundred seventeen patients with a primary diagnosis of T1-T2 glottic squamous cell carcinoma were included. Black and white patients demonstrated equivalent rates of recurrence, RFS, and OS. There was no significant difference in treatment delivery by race for all recorded parameters. T1b tumors were associated with an increased risk of recurrence which did not translate into a statistically significant decrease in RFS or OS. Surgical treatment was associated with increased recurrence but similar RFS and OS compared to radiation-based treatment. Secondary malignancies were common; 12% of patients were diagnosed with a second primary lung cancer during the study period. At our institution, race did not impact survival when access to care, treatment selection, and delivery are equivalent for early glottic SCC. Secondary lung cancer is a critical risk factor for mortality in this patient group and requires long-term surveillance and monitoring. 4 Laryngoscope, 130:1733-1739, 2020.

Surgery versus radiation for T1 glottic carcinoma: Second primary considerations.

Although early glottic carcinoma is managed with radiation therapy (RT) or surgery, there is limited data on differences in second primary cancers of the larynx. We utilized the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to query T1 glottic carcinomas and assess the incidence of second primary laryngeal malignancies. Cumulative hazard for second primary laryngeal malignancies was compared with the log-rank method. Among 844 surgical and 2,272 RT cases, observed-to-expected incidence ratios of laryngeal second primaries were 10.19 (5.89-16.55) and 6.87 (4.64-9.81) per 10 thousand person-years, respectively. Mean person-years at risk were comparable at 8.16 years (surgery) and 8.01 years (RT), and relative increased risk of laryngeal second primary was 20.95 (surgery) versus 14.09 (RT) per 10 thousand person-years. Mean times to development of a second primary were also comparable (304 vs. 305 months, P = 0.898). Thus, second laryngeal primary development is analogous between cases treated with surgery alone versus RT. Continued discussion and investigation of surgery versus RT for early glottic squamous cell carcinoma will need to leverage these findings, along with ongoing investigation of voice and survival outcomes, to develop more well-informed treatment algorithms. Laryngoscope, 129:2713-2715, 2019.

Evaluation of surgical margin status in patients with early glottic cancer (Tis-T2) treated with transoral CO2 laser microsurgery, on local control

PurposeTo assess the impact of surgical margins status on local control in patients with primary early glottic (Tis-T2) squamous cell carcinoma after treatment with transoral CO2 laser microsurgery (TLM) and to assess the significance of additional wound bed biopsies.MethodsPatients with Tis-T2 tumours treated with TLM type I–III resections according to the European Laryngological Society classification between 2009 and 2013 were included in retrospective analysis. Recurrence rate was determined in patients with free versus non-free specimen margins and wound biopsies. Five-year survival rates were determined using the Kaplan–Meier method. Prognostic impact of pT-category, resection margin status, tumour differentiation, wound bed biopsy status, and number of biopsies on local control (LC) were tested with the log-rank test.ResultsEighty-four patients were included in the analysis. Positive margins were seen in 68 patients (81.0%). Margin status after TLM did not significantly influence LC (p = 0.489), however, additional wound bed biopsies were significantly associated with lower LC (p = 0.009). Five-year LC, disease-specific survival, overall survival and laryngeal preservation were 78.6, 78.0, 98.6 and 100%, respectively.ConclusionsAdditional wound bed biopsies can help predict local recurrence in patients treated with TLM for early glottic carcinoma. We propose that there is enough evidence to support a wait-and-see policy in patients with positive specimen margins and negative wound bed biopsies. For patients with positive wound bed biopsies, further treatment is warranted.

Up-Front and Salvage Transoral Laser Microsurgery for Early Glottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Single Centre Retrospective Case Series.

Transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) is a minimally invasive surgical alternative for radiotherapy (RT) in the primary management of early glottic cancer. More recently, TLM emerged also as a possible salvage treatment for selected radiorecurrent cancers. We reviewed outcomes of primary and salvage TLM performed in a Belgian tertiary referral center. A retrospective review of records from 142 consecutive patients who underwent TLM was performed. Oncologic outcomes were evaluated by means of descriptive statistics and Kaplan-Meier estimates. Variation of estimated outcomes between different subgroups was evaluated using Log-Rank analysis. Of 142 patients, 109 (76.8%) underwent TLM as a primary treatment and 33 (23.2%) were treated in a salvage setting for recurrent or second primary glottic cancer. cT classification in the up-front TLM group was cT1a in 72 (66.1%), cT1b in 11 (10.1%), and cT2 in 26 (23.9%) patients. In the salvage group, patients were cT/rT classified as cT1a-rT1a in 17 (51.5%), cT1b-rT1b in 1 (3.0%), cT2-rT2 in 14 (42.4%), and cT3-rT3 in 1 (3.0%) patients. All patients were cN0. Second-look TLM was performed in 28 patients (19.7%), and RT was associated as adjuvant therapy in 5 patients (3.5%). Mean follow-up was 51.6 months (SD = 38.4 months). Three-year overall survival (OS) was 94.1% (SE = 2.2%), 3-year disease-specific survival (DSS) 100%, 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) 80.1% (SE = 3.8%), 3-year local recurrence-free survival (RFS) 81.0% (SE = 3.7%), and 3-year ultimate local control rate with laser alone 89.2% (SE = 3.0%). Upon subgroup analysis, no differences in OS, DSS, and DFS were observed between the up-front and salvage group (log rank; p = 0.306, p = 0.298, and p = 0.061 respectively). However, local RFS and ultimate local control rate with laser alone were significantly higher in the primary treated TLM group (log rank, p = 0.014 and p = 0.012). Five-year laryngeal preservation rate was 89.7% (SE = 3.5%) in the total population, 100% in the upfront group, and 64.9% (SE = 9.8%) in the salvage group, a difference which proved statistically significant (Log-Rank, p < 0.001). This retrospective study confirms excellent oncologic outcomes of up-front TLM for early glottic cancer. In the salvage setting, TLM allows avoidance of total laryngectomy in the majority of cases.

Variation in prognosis of early laryngeal carcinoma after different types of cordectomy with transoral laser microsurgery

Background: The lack of standardized treatment is problematic in laser surgery for laryngeal cancer, and may result in an increased recurrence rate. This study analyzed the prognosis of early laryngeal carcinoma after different types of cordectomy with laser surgery.Methods: A cohort of 818 patients with stage Tis or T1 primary early glottic squamous cell carcinoma treated with CO2 laser surgery was retrospectively analyzed.Results: Of the 818 patients, According to the Kaplan–Meier method, the rate of 5-year overall survival was 92.8%, and the rates for 5-year disease-specific survival and 5-year locoregional control were 96.9% and 91.3%, respectively. Among the T1 patients, type II cordectomy with laser surgery had a significant impact on the 5-year locoregional control rate, but no obvious impact on the 5-year overall survival rate.Conclusions: There must be sufficient depth and extent of excision in T1 patientsand in early carcinoma especially those with possible microinvasive carcinoma