Causes of Death in Patients with Laryngeal Cancer in Stages I and II

Background: Laryngeal carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in the head and neck region and occurs predominantly in males. The peak of incidence is between 50 and 70 years of life. The glottis is the most affected topography, but in the Mediterranean countries the supraglottic region assumes a particular preponderance. In the early stages of the disease, the survival rate at 5 years is of about 90% (stage I). The most important risk factors for this tumor are alcohol and tobacco consumption and these patients, probably because of their lifestyle, have several associated comorbidities. Objectives: To frame the survival rates related to the disease, not disease related and also those arising from other malignancies, allowing to criticize some published data. Methods: From the analysis of medical records of patients diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in stages I and II, treated from 2000 to 2005, the cause of death in these patients was analysed. Results: A total of 216 clinical records were reviewed. It was observed that the overall survival of patients in the study period was 75% and that 66.7% and 54.5% of the deaths were not related to the disease, respectively, for stages I and II. It was also found that the specific survival rate for stage I was 94.6% and for stage II was 90.3%. Conclusion: The results show that most patients' deaths were not related to laryngeal cancer. Thus, the authors emphasize the importance of a careful analysis of statistical data on rates of survival / mortality for cancers of the larynx, especially in the early stages.