Partial laryngectomy for glottic cancer after high-dose radiotherapy

A vertical partial laryngectomy (VPL) for salvage was performed on 25 patients with locally persistent or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the vocal cord(s) after high-dose radiotherapy at the UCLA Medical Center between 1969 and 1988. Patients were followed for a minimum of 2 years and a median of 4.4 years after VPL. Ninety-six percent of patients remained free of disease. Tumor was controlled in patients with impaired vocal cord mobility and involvement of the contralateral cord or false cord. The actuarial survival rate was 80% at 5 years. There were no serious wound healing problems. A permanent tracheostomy was required in one patient due to recurrent aspiration pneumonia. Swallowing and voice function were satisfactory in all other patients. These results indicate that the selection criteria for initial VPL can be applied to the salvage situation with similar success.