A total of 109 cases of laryngeal cancer were treated at the Jikei University Hospital during the six years from 1976 to 1982.
They included 72 cases of glottic cancer, 30 of supraglottic cancer and seven of subglottic cancer, with metastasis rates of 11.1%, 40% and 14.3% respectively.
Overall survival rates were 74.5% in three years and 70% in five years. The survival rate of 88.8% in two years in glottic cancer did not decline with further years.
In the subglottic cancer it was 50% in three years and 35% in five years.
Of the supraglottic cancers with the lowest survival rates, in epiglottic cancer it was 25%, while in cancer of the false cord it was 75%. A high incidence of cervical metastasis was seen in epiglottic cancer, whereas local recurrence was found most frequently in cancer of the false cord.
The different behaviors of the various supraglottic cancers indicate that different approaches should applied according to the individual case.