Vocal outcome after endoscopic cordectomies for Tis and T1 glottic carcinomas

Functional outcomes after CO2 laser treatment of early glottic carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

To analyze vocal outcome after endoscopic CO2 laser treatment of early glottic carcinoma by perceptive and objective assessment.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective study.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of 141 consecutive patients undergoing surgery for previously untreated early glottic carcinoma between October 1993 and July 2003. Five types of laser cordectomies as classified by the European Laryngological Society classification were performed. Comparison of voice results between the different types of cordectomies as well as with a control group was performed.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in the vocal parameters between subepithelial and subligamental cordectomies and controls (P > .05). There was, however, a significant difference between the groups of transmuscular, total, and extended cordectomies and controls (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Good oncologic results and vocal outcomes with no difference between controls and subepithelial and subligamental cordectomies support the use of CO2 laser endoscopic surgery as the first line of treatment for early glottic cancer.

Local recurrence after CO2 laser cordectomy for early glottic carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

To point out prognosis factors of local recurrence after endoscopic cordectomies for Tis, T1a, T1b, and T2 glottic squamous cell carcinomas.

STUDY DESIGN

A cohort of 110 patients treated from January 1990 to December 2000 at a single institution was retrospectively analyzed: 21 had Tis, 76 T1a, 7 T1b, and 6 T2 (mean follow-up 42 mo; range 1-160 mo).

METHODS

The depth and extension of the excision were graded according to the European Laryngological Society Classification. Univariate analysis was used to review the impact on disease-free survival of factors related to the host, the tumor, and the treatment.

RESULTS

According to the Kaplan-Meier method, the 5 year overall survival and the disease-free survival were 87% and 75%, respectively. The rates of cause-specific survival, ultimate local control with laser alone, and laryngeal preservation were 97%, 84%, and 90%, respectively. Univariate analysis by the log rank test revealed that vocal muscle infiltration (P = .001) and subglottic involvement (P = .02) have a significant impact on disease-free survival. Of the 22 patients with local recurrence (17 T1a, 1 T1b, and 4 T2), 9 were managed with total laryngectomy, 5 with partial laryngectomy, 4 with further laser cordectomy, 2 with radiotherapy, and 2 had no curative treatment.

CONCLUSION

Transoral laser surgery for early glottic carcinoma is a valid alternative to radiotherapy and partial laryngectomy in terms of oncologic results. It offers low morbidity and excellent retreatment options in case of local failure. Careful patient selection for laser surgery is essential to secure good results.

The efficacy of voice therapy in patients after treatment for early glottic carcinoma

BACKGROUND

After treatment for early glottic carcinoma, a considerable number of patients end up with voice problems that interfere with daily life activities. The objective of this randomized and controlled study was to assess the efficacy of voice therapy in these patients.

METHODS

Of 177 patients, 6-120 months after treatment for early glottic carcinoma, 70 patients (40%) suffered from voice impairment based on a 5-item screening questionnaire. Approximately 60% of those 70 patients were not interested in participating in the current study. Twenty-three patients who were willing to participate were assigned randomly either to a voice therapy group (n = 12 patients) or to a control group (n = 11 patients). Multidimensional voice analyses (the self-reported Voice Handicap Index [VHI], acoustic and perceptual voice quality analysis, videolaryngostroboscopy, and the Voice Range Profile) were conducted twice: before and after voice therapy or with 3 months in between for the control group.

RESULTS

Statistical analyses of the difference in scores (postmeasurement minus premeasurement) showed significant voice improvement after voice therapy on the total VHI score, percent jitter, and noise-to-harmonics ratio in the voice signal and on the perceptual rating of vocal fry.

CONCLUSIONS

Voice therapy proved to be effective in patients who had voice problems after treatment for early glottic carcinoma. Improvement not only was noticed by the patients (VHI) but also was confirmed by objective voice parameters.

A screening questionnaire for voice problems after treatment of early glottic cancer

PURPOSE

After treatment for early glottic cancer, a considerable number of patients end up with voice problems interfering with daily life activities. A 5-item screening questionnaire was designed for detection of voice impairment. The purpose of this study is to assess psychometric properties of this questionnaire in clinical practice.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

The questionnaire was completed by 110 controls without voice complaints and 177 patients after radiotherapy or laser surgery for early glottic cancer.

RESULTS

Based on normative data of the controls, a score of 5 or less on at least 1 of the 5 questions was considered to state overall voice impairment. Reliability of the questionnaire proved to be good. Voice impairment was reported in 44% of the patients treated with radiotherapy vs. 29% of the patients treated with endoscopic laser surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The questionnaire proved to be a reliable, valid, and feasible method to detect voice impairment in daily life. The questionnaire is easy to fill in, and interpretation is straightforward. It is useful for both radiation oncologists and otorhinolaryngologists in their follow-up of patients treated for early glottic cancer.

The management of early laryngeal cancer: options for patients and therapists

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To evaluate the optimal treatment of early laryngeal cancer and to highlight new developments.

RECENT FINDINGS

The use of hyperfractionation and acceleration of radiotherapy may result in improved outcomes for patients with respect to cancer cure and preservation of the larynx. Options for surgical treatment include endoscopic resection and open partial laryngectomy. The use of endoscopic vertical partial laryngectomy may overcome the difficulties encountered in exposure with transoral laser resection of anterior commissure tumors. The microdebrider may be a useful alternative to CO(2) laser in endoscopic resection in selected cases. A further treatment option that shows promising results is photodynamic therapy, which has some important advantages over the other treatment modalities. Further larger studies are needed to assess the efficacy of these treatment modalities to ascertain the treatment modality of choice.

SUMMARY

Different treatment modalities are available for early laryngeal cancer. The treatment choice should take into account the likely post-treatment morbidity, quality of life, patient preference, and voice quality. The cost of treatment, not only to the treating institution but also to the patient and those involved in the patient's care at home, is also an important issue. Well-designed randomized multicenter controlled trials are now necessary to influence patients' and clinicians' decision in the choice of the most effective and predictable treatment plan.

Analysis of recurrences in 322 Tis, T1, or T2 glottic carcinomas treated by carbon dioxide laser

An endoscopic approach to early glottic carcinoma is considered a sound treatment for both previously untreated lesions and selected recurrent lesions. Between January 1988 and December 2000, we treated 322 patients by CO2 laser at a single institution; 37 had Tis, 191 T1a, 55 T1b, and 39 T2 lesions (mean follow-up, 77 months; range, 6 to 180 months). Kaplan-Meier curves showed a 5-year overall survival rate of 88%, a determinate survival rate of 99%, a disease-free survival rate of 81%, a rate of ultimate local control with laser alone of 91%, and a laryngeal preservation rate of 97%. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that the only factor that statistically affected endoscopic control was lateral extension of the tumor with involvement of the bottom of the ventricle (hazard risk ratio, 4.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.71 to 9.35). The 58 recurrences were classified according to their location compared with the site of the primary tumor as follows: 14 in the same area (group A), 27 in adjacent subsites with superficial spreading or multifocal distribution (group B), and 17 in adjacent sites by submucosal diffusion to the visceral spaces, cartilaginous framework, or extralaryngeal tissues (group C). For each group, we analyzed the rate of patients who underwent salvage by endoscopic or open neck procedures and the rate of laryngeal preservation. Recurrences in groups A and B were endoscopically treated in 86% and 74% of cases, respectively. By contrast, in group C no patient was endoscopically cured, and there was a low laryngeal preservation rate (47%). The pathways of spread in recurrent carcinoma are therefore the single most important factor in predicting its endoscopic curability.

Embryological study of the glottic site and clinical implications

The development of the glottic site, in particular of its ventral area, was studied to better understand the spreading pathways of T1, T2 cancer. Serial sections of larynges from human embryos, fetuses and adults were observed. A dorsal, a ventral and an intermediate compartment were found on the basis of their maturation schedule. A commissure muscle which develops in the anterior one third of the glottic site and wraps the connection system of vocal ligaments was recognized. The inferior paraglottic space, the compartment structures and the localization of superficial and deep blood vessels and of glands in the ventral compartment and the components of Broyles ligament were studied during ontogenesis. The compartments identified here have clinical and oncological relevance. Their detailed knowledge offers a prerequisite for planning and performing compartment conservative surgery in T1, T2 cancer, based on their spreading pathways.

Carbon dioxide laser salvage surgery after radiotherapy failure in T1 and T2 glottic carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Recurrent glottic carcinoma after radiotherapy (RT) may be managed by open neck or endoscopic surgery. The impact of endoscopic treatment with CO(2) laser for recurrent glottic carcinoma after RT is reported.

METHODS

We present the oncologic and vocal outcomes of a retrospective study based on a series of 16 patients with rT1 and rT2 glottic carcinoma who were endoscopically managed between February 1995 and December 1999 after RT failure. All patients were males with a mean age of 68.7 years (range, 50 to 87 years). Before RT, the lesions had been staged as T1 N0 in 11 patients and T2 N0 in 5, and after RT as rT1 N0 in 12 and rT2 N0 in 4. According to the European Laryngological Society classification, a total of 9 transmuscular, 3 total, and 4 extended cordectomies were performed. Mean follow-up was 45 months (range, 9 to 79 months).

RESULTS

Endoscopic salvage surgery was successful in 14 patients. One of them developed a second recurrence and was definitively cured with an additional endoscopic procedure. Two of the 16 patients had recurrent disease after salvage laser surgery and died due to progression of disease. Ultimate local control with laser alone at 3 years was 87.1%, according to the Kaplan-Meier method. Laryngeal preservation was obtained in all survivors after endoscopic rescue surgery. Voice analysis showed a clear correlation between the amount of vocal cord tissue resected and decrease of the vocal outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

The present series indicates that selected recurrences after primary RT for T1 and T2 glottic carcinoma are eligible for endoscopic salvage surgery with oncologic results comparable to those with open neck procedures but with a lower complication rate and a favorable functional outcome.

Cordectomías láser: resultados oncológicos y funcionales

OBJECTIVE

Early glottic carcinoma can be effectively treated with radiation or endoscopic laser surgery. We evaluated our experience treating early glottic cancer with laser CO2 surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

64 patients with Tis, T1 and T2 carcinoma, who underwent endoscopic CO2 laser excision between January 1999 and July 2002, were retrospectively analyzed. We performed an objective and subjective evaluation of speech, and evaluation of physical, emotional and functional well being. The mean follow-up was thirty months.

RESULTS

No patient died of this laryngeal neoplasm. Local control was achieved in 96% (62/64). Two patients with recurrence required total laryngectomy as savage treatment. Cause-specific survival was 100%, and overall survival was 98% (63/64). Voice quality was affected by laser surgery but impact on the quality of life was minor.

CONCLUSIONS

Laser cordectomy for treatment of early glottic cancer is a valid alternative to radiation, with good outcome for voice and minimum impact on quality of life.

Preoperative and postoperative voice in Tis-T1 glottic cancer treated by endoscopic cordectomy: an additional issue for patient counseling

Radiotherapy contends with endoscopic surgery for the role of treatment of choice for Tis-T1 glottic cancer. The amount of vocal cord to be surgically removed logically depends on the surface and deep extension of the neoplasm. Thus, a prerequisite for proper management includes an analysis of the voice changes after each of the progressive types of cordectomy described in the European Laryngological Society Classification. Between January 1998 and December 2000, 89 patients with glottic cancer (8 Tis, 63 T1a, 18 T1b) underwent different types of endoscopic cordectomy. Perceptual analysis (GRBAS scale); objective analyses of jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonics ratio; and subjective (Voice Handicap Index) evaluation of voice were performed in 51 patients. Statistical evaluation of preoperative and postoperative objective results by analysis of covariance, as well as perceptual and subjective data, showed significant voice improvement after type I and II cordectomies, with the voice attaining nearly normal parameters. By contrast, after type III, IV, and V cordectomies, the vocal outcome was not significantly different from the preoperative pattern. It can therefore be concluded that type I and II resections, whenever indicated, are adequate procedures even for professional voice users. By contrast, accurate counseling is mandatory before type III, IV, and V cordectomies.