title: Primary radiotherapy for subglottic carcinoma.
abstract: Between 1976 and 1990, 23 patients with subglottic carcinoma of the larynx were treated by one radiotherapist; these were reviewed. Primary radiotherapy was given using small parallel opposed wedged fields to the neck. No mediastinal radiotherapy was used. Mean follow up was 67 (9-165) months. Actuarial analysis showed a 2-year overall survival of 69.0% (78.3% excluding intercurrent deaths), and a 2-year disease free survival of 68.6%. Failure was due to persistent disease (5 patients) or recurrence (2 patients, both with disease T3, salvaged by surgery at 5 and 20 months). No patient developed clinical mediastinal relapse. These better than expected results support the use of primary radiotherapy to the neck alone avoiding conventional mediastinal radiotherapy. A national questionnaire sent to 67 consultant otolaryngologists sought information on perceived incidence, cure rate, and preferred mode of treatment and produced a 67% response rate. The results confirmed our belief that surgeons have a pessimistic perception of the value of radiotherapy in this condition.
authors.affiliation: Sussex Radiotherapy and Oncology Centre, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, East Sussex, UK.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Haylock
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Deutsch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015996:Survival Rate