title: CO(2) laser surgery in elderly patients with glottic carcinoma: univariate and multivariate analyses of results.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are limited data on the role of laser-assisted surgery for early glottic cancer in elderly patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study was conducted on a series of 130 consecutive cases of early glottic carcinoma occurring in elderly patients (>65 years old) treated with CO(2) laser surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall and disease-specific survival rates were 87.7% and 99.2%, respectively. The rates of local disease control after primary laser surgery, ultimate local control with laser alone, and laryngeal preservation were 84.6%, 93.8%, and 96.9%, respectively. A shorter disease-free survival (DFS) was associated with the involvement of 1 or more specific laryngeal regions (arytenoids, ventricle, anterior commissure, vocal muscle, subglottis) (p = .01) and the status of the surgical margins (p = .002); on multivariate analysis, only the latter remained prognostically significant vis-à-vis the DFS (p = .002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even in elderly patients with early glottic carcinoma, endoscopic laser surgery is an effective treatment.
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Unit, Vittorio Veneto Hospital, Vittorio Veneto, Italy. mar.lucio@libero.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucioni
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertolin
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rizzotto
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Accordi
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giacomelli
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marioni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005931:Glottis; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide