2005 Volume 17 Issue 1 Pages 11-16
The causes of death of 303 cases who had received primary treatment in our department for their early stages laryngeal cancer (Stage I : 185 cases, Stage II : 118 cases) were analyzed. For the majority of Stage I patients, radiation was the primary treatment employed, while radiation and total laryngectomies were used for approximately one half of Stage II patients. The mortality rates of the Stage I and Stage II patients, thus treated, were 2.7% (5/185) and 10.0% (12/118), respectively. Except for the cases where treatment was rejected by patients, there were only three cases with local recurrence which led to the patients' deaths. Multiple primary tumors were noted in 11.3% of Stage I and 14.4% of Stage II patients with lung, esophageal, and head and neck cancers. In the head and neck region, hypopharyngeal and mesopharyngeal cancers occur conspicuously after 5 years. Analysis of our cases, either with recurrence or death as an outcome, indicates the importance of 1) thorough dissection of the paratracheal tissues to avoid stomal recurrence, 2) early detection and management of lung and esophageal cancers, and 3) early detection of multiple primary tumors in the head and neck, which had a tendency to occur after 5 years after the initial treatment of laryngeal cancer.
