Transoral CO₂ laser surgery for supraglottic cancer

There are several therapeutic options for laryngeal cancer, including those that provide a functional preservation without worsening the oncological results, such as transoral laser microsurgery (TLM). The aim of this study was to analyze both oncological and functional results of TLM in supraglottic cancer. We studied 49 consecutive patients with a primary supraglottic carcinoma who underwent a TLM between the years 1999 and 2009. Nineteen patients were classified as stage I-II and 30 as stage III-IV disease. Forty-five patients underwent also neck dissection. Thirteen patients received postoperative radiotherapy. The minimum follow-up was 24 months. Three- and five-year disease-specific survival rate was 93.2 and 82.2 %, respectively. Of the patients, 36.7 % had some complication after surgery, aspiration being the most frequent (16.32 %). Of the 43 patients who were alive, 39 (91 %) without evidence of disease 3 years after diagnosis had a functional larynx. Our results suggest that TLM is a safe and effective treatment for supraglottic cancer, with a low morbidity rate and excellent functional results.