A Case of Chondrosarcoma of the Thyroid Cartilage

Abstract

Chondrosarcoma of the larynx is a very rare disease, accounting for only 0.2% of all primary malignancies of the larynx. Surgery is often the treatment of first choice in resectable cases, but adequate evidence for treatment of this tumor has not yet been established.

We report our experience with a case of laryngeal chondrosarcoma in a patient in his 60s. The patient was incidentally diagnosed as having a tumor in the larynx during a health checkup and was referred to his previous hospital. A detailed examination at that hospital revealed the tumor as a low-grade laryngeal chondrosarcoma, and total laryngectomy was recommended as treatment. However, as the patient was asymptomatic and he could not accept the loss of his larynx, he refused surgery.

He was then referred to our hospital in the hope for some treatment that could preserve his speech and swallowing functions. The head and neck surgeon, radiation oncologist, and bone and soft tissue oncologist discussed the patient’s treatment plan and offered the patient carbon-ion radiotherapy and larynx-preserving surgery as treatment options, and the patient chose surgery. The tumor was resected with a margin of a few millimeters. After the surgery, the patient’s speech and swallowing function have been preserved, and at present, one year four months after the surgery, there is no evidence of tumor recurrence.

Our experience suggests that larynx-preserving surgery may be an effective treatment option for patients with a strong desire for laryngeal preservation.