Transoral laser microsurgery for recurrent laryngeal and pharyngeal cancer

Abstract

Study Design and Setting A two-center prospective case series analysis. Patients One hundred fourteen patients with previously treated laryngeal or pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent salvage transoral laser microsurgery (TLM). Interventions TLM in 114 patients, neck dissection in 22 (19%) patients, adjuvant radiotherapy in 12 (11%) patients. Results Ninety-one (80%) patients had recurrent primary tumors whereas 23 (20%) patients had second primary tumors occur within a previously irradiated field. The minimum follow-up was 1 year (median, 3 years). The distribution of tumor location was oropharynx 52 (46%), glottic and subglottic larynx 44 (39%), supraglottic larynx 11 (10%), and pyriform/hypopharynx 7 (6%). Overall, three-year local and locoregional control estimates were 70 percent and 67 percent, respectively; and three-year survival and disease-free survival estimates were 62 percent and 64 percent, respectively. The average duration of hospitalization was 2.3 days. Four (3.5%) patients had significant postoperative bleeding. Two (<2%) patients had treatment-related deaths. Conclusions Transoral laser microsurgery offers select patients an attractive alternative salvage surgical therapy to the recurrent and second primary tumor site.