Abstract
Seven hundred and sixty-seven patients with laryngeal cancer were clinically and epidemiologically studied with special reference to early detection of the cancer. In the cases with carcinoma of the glottis, the average period from the onset of hoarseness to the detection of the cancer was approximately 9 months. When laryngeal cancer was detected within 3 months after the onset of hoarseness, early cancer of Ti accounted for 70% of the cases. Therefore, effective public education and mass screening are mandatory for early detection of the laryngeal cancer.
It is noteworthy that, in the cases of supraglottic cancer, sore throat and/or cough were very often the first symptoms. Sore throat was the first symptom in 62% and 28% of the cases with cancer of the epilarynx and the false cord respectively.
Second primary cancers may sometimes be the cause of death. In this study, double and triple primary cancers developed in 131 (17. 1%) and 13 (1. 7%) cases respectively. Close observation concerning second primary cancer is most advisable during the follow-up period of laryngeal cancer even after 5 years, because the incidence of second primary cancer is quite high.
