Abstract
Laryngeal cancer is one of the head and neck cancers with good prognosis. This is due to the morphological features of the larynx (laryngeal framework, elastic barriers) and the well established treatment modalities. Some patients, however, died from the cancer despite the treatment efforts. Among the 406 patients with laryngeal cancer who visited us between 1971 and 1996, 106 had died; 55 patients died from the primary cancer and the others from the other causes such as second primary cancers or cardiopulmonary diseases. Among the 55 patients who died from the primary cancer, 19 died from local recurrences, 19 from both local and distant metastases, 13 from distant metastases, and 4 from other causes. As for the 19 patients who died from local recurrences, we reviewed their surgical reports in light of whether there are factors prompted local recurrences. Direct invasion into the skin, extralaryngeal mucosal invasion, and major vascular invasion are the three patient's factors that might prompt local recurrences. Inadvertent manipulation to the cancer, lack of dissecting paratracheal lymphnodes, and insufficient resection margin are the three surgeon's factors that might prompt local recurrences.
