Imaging profiles as they apply to organ preservation and how they affect management of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer

The treatment ooptions for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and hypopharynx include radiation therapy (RT), surgery, or a combination of both. RT provides a treatment alternative which allows for preservation of laryngeal function, i.e. organ preservation. Pretreatment imaging, either Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has become essential for the correct pretherapeutic staging and proper treatment of these tumors. This presentation will center on the relation between pretreatment tumor volume and the likelihood of primary tumor control in patients with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with definitive RT The impact of sclerosis of laryngeal cartilages, as a possible sign of (microscopic) tumor invasion, and involvement of specific subsites in the larynx and hypopharynx will also be discussed. Integrating these parameters imaging-based risk profiles will be presented for supraglottic, glottic and hypopharyngeal carcinomas.