Oncologic outcomes of surgical treatment for T3 glottic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to assess the clinical results of patients with T3 glottic laryngeal carcinoma treated with total laryngectomy or partial laryngectomy. MethodsWe conducted a retrospectively review of 307 patients with T3 glottic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). ResultsThe 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate was 71.5% and the overall survival (OS) rate was 70.6%. For patients who underwent total laryngectomy, the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 59.8%, and the CSS rate was 67.9%. For partial laryngectomy, the 5-year DFS rate was 64.8%, and the CSS rate was 78.0%. High lymph node and stage status are predictors of mortality for these patients. No difference was found in DFS and CSS rates between patients with negative margins and those with positive margins after postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy. ConclusionPostoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy are effective treatments for patients with T3 glottic laryngeal carcinoma, especially with a positive margin. For selected patients with T3 glottic laryngeal carcinoma, partial laryngectomy is a good choice because it can achieve satisfactory oncologic results while preserving laryngeal function.