Therapeutic options in advanced laryngeal cancer: an overview

Historically, patients with advanced laryngeal cancer have been treated with radical surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy. Intensive surgical research has allowed surgeons to deal with almost any local extension and to propose an appropriate surgical procedure for each case. Several function-sparing surgical options are available to treat moderately advanced/advanced laryngeal cancer. Better understanding of the anatomy and biology of cancer in this anatomical site has enabled us to devise effective oncological strategies associated with a great effort to preserve laryngeal function. Numerous efforts have been made to augment the therapeutic armamentarium with the addition of chemotherapeutic agents combined with radiation therapy. For advanced laryngeal cancer, the debate is still open between partial/subtotal surgical procedures, which are more efficient but sacrifice parts of the larynx, and radiotherapy/chemoradiation protocols which can preserve the larynx and its function even though it requires radical surgery for salvage. Efforts should be made to select patients properly, in an individual basis, based on tumor characteristics, clinical aspects, patient's expectations, and the expertise of the head and neck oncologic team for the various therapeutic strategies in order to get better oncological results in association with the preservation of the laryngeal form and function, when possible.