Authors: Dorota Kiprian, Andrzej Kawecki, Andrzej Jarząbski, Wojciech Michalski, Beata Pawłowska-Sendułka
Otolaryngologia polska. The Polish otolaryngology. 09/2011; 65(5):363-8.
The most frequent malignant tumor of the head and neck region is a squamous cell cancer of the larynx. Squamous cell cancer of the hypopharynx is diagnosed rarely, but it has poorer prognosis thanThe most frequent malignant tumor of the head and neck region is a squamous cell cancer of the larynx. Squamous cell cancer of the hypopharynx is diagnosed rarely, but it has poorer prognosis than laryngeal cancer. The surgical treatment, especially in advanced disease, is a laryngectomy with the definitive tracheostomy, what negatively influenced the quality of life. Therefore, oncologists have been interested in new alternative methods of conservative treatment from many years.
The evaluation of efficacy and toxicity of the organ preservation treatment in patients with locally advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer.
The patients with diagnosed squamous cell laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer in III and IVa clinical status were treated with concomitant radiochemotherapy with intention of the organ preservation. Conformal 3D radiotherapy and SIB-IMRT technique was applied in all cases. Concomitant chemotherapy consisted of cisplatin in daily dose100mg/m(2) given two times during irradiation (1 and 22 day of treatment) or once weekly in dose 40mg/m(2). Between January 2004 and November 2008 146 patients were treated with this method. There were 83 patients diagnosed with laryngeal cancer and 62 patients with hypopharyngeal cancer in this group.
The median follow up is 42 months. Five years overall survival is 75% and disease free survivak is 63%. Three years laryngectomy free survival (LFS) is 82% and 5-years LFS is 76%. This group of patients is alive with larynx preservations. In 17.3% patients local recurrence was observed (4.5% regional recurrence and 1.8% locoregional). Those patients underwent salvage surgery or were treated with palliative chemotherapy. No severe life risking early and late complications were observed. Only 7% of patients have required temporary tracheostomy because of difficulties in breathing due to larynx edema.
We can conclude that organ preservation treatment is a valuable alternative to surgical procedure in patients diagnosed with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer in III and IVa clinical status.
