title: Relationship between tumour-node-metastasis stage of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and duration of symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relationship between disease stage and duration of symptoms for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated retrospectively data from 102 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients seen in the otorhinolaryngology department of the Gazi University School of Medicine between December 1996 and June 2004. Inclusion criteria were a histologic diagnosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, no previous medical, surgical or radiological treatment for carcinoma, and the absence of any other primary tumours or distant metastatic disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no relationship between duration of symptoms and stage of the disease, both for glottic and supraglottic tumours. When glottic and supraglottic tumours were compared, no significant difference in symptom duration could be found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no correlation between symptom duration and the stage of the disease for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Therefore, symptom duration does not reflect the stage of the tumour.
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery Department, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Besevler, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozbilen
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Aydil
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Dinç
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kizil
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Köybasioglu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005931:Glottis; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors