Survival after Salvage Total Laryngectomy: The Influence of Previous Treatment

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the complications and survival rate after different treatment modalities of advanced laryngopharyngeal cancer. Methods: Retrospective study included 619 advanced laryngopharyngeal carcinoma, treated with either primary total laryngectomy (PTL), or salvage (STL) after partial laryngectomy, radio, chemoradiotherapy. Complications and survival rate were documented. Results: Five years disease free survival rate amounted 60.9% for PTL, 54.3% for STL after partial laryngectomy, 50% for STL after radiotherapy and 43.8% for STL after chemoradiotherapy. Histologically positive neck was highly significantly associated with worse prognosis, much more than recurrence within larynx. Conclusion: PTL gives the best survival rate with low complications for advanced laryngopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Complications and survival rate of STL significantly depend on previous treatment of laryngopharyngeal cancer.