Partial laryngectomy as salvage surgery for radiation failures in T1-T2 laryngeal cancer.
BACKGROUND
Radiotherapy is the treatment of choice for early glottic carcinoma. Thirteen percent to 24% of patients require salvage surgery. To evaluate time of recurrence, site, and locoregional control, we retrospectively reviewed 29 patients treated from 1981 to 1996.


METHODS
There were 28 men and 1 woman. Mean age was 63 years. Twenty were T1 (69%) and 9 were T2 (31%). Median time of recurrence was 14.5 months. In 14 patients (52%), a partial laryngectomy was done, and 13 patients had a total laryngectomy. Two refused surgery.


RESULTS
One patient relapsed after salvage surgery. Five-year survival after salvage surgery was 92%, with no difference between partial and total laryngectomy (p = 0.2).


CONCLUSIONS
Recurrences after failure to radiotherapy in T1-T2 glottic carcinoma could be salvaged with partial laryngectomy in 52% of patients, preserving laryngeal function, with adequate tumor control and acceptable morbidity. The selection of the surgical procedure is based on the tumor extension.
Rodríguez-Cuevas
S
S
Department of Surgery of Head & Neck Tumors, Hospital de Oncología, CMN, IMSS, México City, Rebsamen, México, DF.
Labastida
S
S
Gonzalez
D
D
Briseño
N
N
Cortes
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005931:Glottis; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000379:methods; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D017211:Treatment Failure