title: Prognostic value of cartilage sclerosis in laryngeal cancer treated with primary radiation therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In patients with laryngeal cancer, pretreatment diagnosis of cartilage invasion often warrants a surgical or a bimodal treatment. Controversy exists on whether laryngeal cartilage sclerosis on computed tomography (CT) scan is a sign of tumor invasion. Our objective is to evaluate locoregional, laryngectomy-free, disease-specific, and overall survival in patients with laryngeal cancer with or without laryngeal cartilage sclerosis treated with primary radiation therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Historical cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral university center.
  
  
  METHODS
  All laryngeal cancer patients treated with primary radiation therapy between 2002 and 2007 were included. Patients with and without laryngeal cartilage sclerosis on CT scan were identified. Patient, tumor, and treatment data were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional-hazards regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred eleven patients were included for analysis. Seventy-nine patients were classified as T1 or T2, and 32 patients were classified as T3 or T4. Twenty-three percent of patients had any laryngeal cartilage sclerosis, and 77% of patients had no sclerosis. On univariate and multivariate analyses, there was no statistically significant difference between patients with or without sclerosis. Results did not vary when studying each cartilage separately.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laryngeal cancer patients with cartilage sclerosis on CT scan do not have significantly different survival than patients without sclerosis. Validation of these results prospectively is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Université de Montréal Hospital Center (CHUM), Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Sami P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Moubayed
authors.forename: Manon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bélair
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saliba
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bibeau-Poirier
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Christopoulos
authors.forename: Phuc-Felix
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Nguyen-Tan
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guertin
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Marie-Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Olivier
authors.forename: Tareck
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ayad
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007817:Laryngeal Cartilages / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012598:Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed