Optimal treatment for the technically resectable squamous cell carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx

The charts of 431 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx observed at the M.D. Anderson Hospital between January, 1954, and June, 1971, were analyzed. This study is concerned with those patients who had a technically resectable lesion. Emphasis is directed to the analysis of the effectiveness of primary irradiation instead of partial laryngectomy for those lesions which are technically suitable for a partial resection and to define the groups of patients which are best treated by combining surgery and planned postoperative irradiation. One hundred forty-seven patients with T1 and T2 lesions, selected exophytic T3 lesions of the suprahyoid epiglottis received irradiation for their laryngeal lesion. A satisfactory control of the laryngeal disease has been obtained with preservation of a normal voice ranging from 88.5 percent for T1 lesions to 60 percent for T4 lesion. Comparing the groups of patients who had surgery alone or postoperative irradiation an NED rate of 63 percent was found in the latter group which is clearly superior to the 37 percent found in the surgery only group. There is no difference for the five-year NED rates, because the patients who had surgery and postoperative irradiation had more advanced neck disease which is a cause for distant metastases. The incidence of recurrences above the clavicles is clearly less in patients having had surgery and postoperative irradiation than in those who had surgery alone. Correlating in the two groups, surgery only and surgery followed by planned irradiation, the surgical staging of the neck metastases with recurrences above the clavicles within 24 months after treatment, it was found that the planned combined treatment has reduced the recurrence rate from 45 percent to 15 percent in the N2 and N3 patients. Postoperative irradiation should be given routinely after resection for all T4 lesions and for any T3 lesion which extends to the pharyngeal wall(s), vallecula, base of tongue, and pyriform sinus. Postoperative irradiation should also be given for any patient whose nodal classification is greater than N1. Irradiation should be given within six weeks (preferably three to four weeks) after the surgical procedure. To achieve this goal, the operation need only remove grossly detectable disease.