Negative pathology following endoscopic resection of T1a squamous carcinoma of the glottis

Endoscopic CO(2) laser excision for T(1a) glottic cancer is a recognized treatment modality producing equivalent disease-free and voice results to external beam radiotherapy. On reviewing a series of 15 patients who had undergone endoscopic resection of a T(1a) glottic squamous cancer, it was noted that five patients had negative excisional pathology following the initial biopsy of an invasive squamous carcinoma. The histopathology of each patient's resected specimen was reviewed by a second pathologist who confirmed the accuracy of the results in all cases. We conclude that a significant number of early squamous carcinomas of the glottis present with very small localized, minimally invasive disease and that a proportion may be treated by biopsy alone.