Vertical Partial Laryngectomy for Laryngeal Cancer as Salvage Surgery

Abstract

The three most important concerns of patients with laryngeal cancer are achieving a cure, saving their voice, and ensuring their daily life without tracheal stoma. Vertical partial laryngectomy is not suitable as a primary option in the treatment of early glottis cancer due to postoperative hoarseness, although it is superior to other treatments in the local control rate. We herein report the utility of vertical partial laryngectomy as salvage surgery after radiation therapy. A total of 264 patients with early glottis cancer were treated in our institute from 2005 to 2014, including 178 cases of stage T1 and 86 T2. Of these, 234 patients were irradiated with or without chemotherapy. Vertical partial laryngectomy was performed in 29 patients and total laryngectomy in 1, due to having received radiation therapy in another hospitals previously. Local recurrence occurred in 31 patients who received radiation therapy, and 18 of them were treated with vertical partial laryngectomy. A total of 47 patients received vertical partial laryngectomy as salvage surgery. All except two patients survived with a functional larynx. The local control rate of partial laryngectomy as a salvage surgery was 95.7%.