title: Treatment-induced changes in vocal cord mobility and subsequent local recurrence after organ preservation therapy for laryngeal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As multidisciplinary cancer treatment evolves, strategies to identify patients needing early resection/salvage are necessary. Some have suggested that vocal cord function after organ-preservation treatment may be an indicator.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was performed of patients presenting with fixed or impaired vocal cord function at a tertiary center. Local recurrence rates were examined in patients with and without improved/normal mobilization after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria, with 35 patients having vocal cord fixation and 34 patients with impaired mobility. After treatment, 44 patients had normalization of vocal cord function, while 25 patients did not, with 2-year local control rates of 70% and 77%, p = .23, respectively. No difference in local control was found between patients with normalized/improved cord function (n = 53) and those who remained the same/worsened (n = 16; p = .81).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapy-induced changes in vocal cord mobility did not correlate with local recurrence. Other criteria are needed to identify patients most likely to benefit from early surgical resection/salvage after organ preservation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA. walter.lee@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Walter T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Liana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puscas
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Witsell
authors.forename: Seth M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Samuel R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scher
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Broadwater
authors.forename: Neal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ready
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Brizel
authors.forename: Ramon M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Esclamado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D059351:Organ Sparing Treatments; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000209:etiology*