Supracricoid laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy for recurrence of early-stage glottic carcinoma after irradiation. Long-term oncological and functional results

Abstract

Conclusions These results suggest that, in selected cases, SCL-CHP may be used to treat laryngeal carcinomas after radiation failure, with good oncological and functional results.

Objectives Radiotherapy and surgery are believed to be equally effective and highly successful in the management of T1-staged glottic carcinomas. An almost normal post-therapy voice is considered the main advantage of irradiation over the surgical approach. On the other hand, when a tumour recurs after radiotherapy, it is more likely to extend beyond its original site, making total laryngectomy necessary in most cases. However, in selected cases, conservative laryngeal surgery is possible. At present only a few reports in the literature have documented the oncological and functional outcome of supracricoid laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy (SCL-CHP) in the treatment of laryngeal recurrence after irradiation.

Material and methods We describe seven cases of rT2–T3 laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas that recurred after radiotherapy and were treated with salvage SCL-CHP between 1989 and 1997 at the Department of Otolaryngology, University of Ferrara. The disease-free interval following initial radiotherapy ranged from 13 to 132 months (mean 54 months) in 6 patients; 1 patient underwent 2 courses of irradiation treatment 103 and 8 months prior to surgery.

Results The mean post-SCL-CHP follow-up period exceeded 10 years (range 72–173 months). Only the patient who underwent 2 courses of radiation therapy before surgery experienced laryngeal recurrence 48 months after surgery. All patients were decannulated and recovered the ability to swallow. Vocal quality was significantly rough and breathy but was satisfactorily intelligible in all patients. Four patients had wound healing problems; 1 of them developed a laryngotracheocutaneous fistula 15 months after SCL-CHP as a consequence of chondronecrosis, prompting total laryngectomy.

• Irradiation failure
• laryngeal carcinoma
• post-radiotherapy
• recurrence
• supracricoid laryngectomy