Anterior commissure cancer--a clinical and laboratory study of 39 cases

Of 13 anterior commissure cancers treated by radiation therapy and reported in 1970, eight had residual or recurrent cancer at the primary site and required total laryngectomy. All but one of the 13 had been treated prior to 1958 by Orthovoltage radiation. A total of 19 patients with anterior commissure lesions were treated at the Yale-New Haven Hospital using a 2MEV Van de Graaf generator between mid 1958 when this supervoltage source first became available and December 1971. None was lost to follow-up and thus all are available for evaluation after more than two years. Results in this group have been compared with 20 glottic carcinomas with involvement of the anterior commissure treated surgically during the same period of time. Thirteen of the resulting 20 surgical specimens have been studied by serial section.