title: Impact and management of airway obstruction in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We compared postoperative complications and oncologic results after laryngectomy of patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), with and without airway obstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 544 patients with laryngeal SCC between 1990 and 2000. Of 175 advanced cases receiving total laryngectomy, 32 initially presented with upper airway obstruction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postoperative complications after laryngectomy did not differ significantly between patients with and without airway obstruction (36% vs 28%; p = .353). Although patients with airway obstruction had more T4 (81% vs 42%; p < .001) and stage IV disease (82% vs 48%; p = .0004), tumor recurrence rates did not increase (21% vs 29%; p = .374). Five-year overall (52% vs 60%; p = .251), disease-specific (73% vs 70%; p = .982), and relapse-free (72% vs 68%; p = .982) survival did not differ significantly between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After appropriate management of airway obstruction, the postoperative complications and oncologic results were similar to those without airway obstruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. pychu@vghtpe.gov.tw
authors.forename: Pen-Yuan
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Tsung-Lun
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shyue-Yih
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome