Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026
Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach for Thyroid Lobectomy
Published on: May 12, 2023
Laryngeal tumor volume as a predictor for thyroid cartilage penetration
Svetlana S Kats1, Susan Muller, Ashley Aiken
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322-1013, USA.
Background:
Review of laryngectomy specimens demonstrated that preoperative CT scanning is suboptimal in predicting both thyroid cartilage penetration and extralaryngeal spread. We investigated the association between the CT-based gross tumor volume (GTV) with pathologic evidence of thyroid cartilage penetration among patients undergoing laryngectomy for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the larynx.
Methods:
Ninety-four patients were identified who underwent total laryngectomy for SCC of the larynx. GTV, as defined by preoperative diagnostic CT scan, was contoured and analyzed using treatment-planning software.
Results:
Among the 49 nonirradiated patients, the mean GTVs of patients with (n = 15) and without (n = 34) thyroid cartilage penetration was 60.1 and 28.0 cm(3) (p = .004). When the nonirradiated patients were divided into 3 GTV groups (≤25 cm(3), 25-50 cm(3), >50 cm(3)), the rates of thyroid cartilage penetration were 23%, 17%, and 78%, respectively (p = .003).
Conclusions:
Laryngeal tumor volume is associated with pathologic evidence of thyroid cartilage penetration in nonirradiated patients.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Larynx
Anatomy of the Larynx
The larynx consists of various components, including cartilage, muscles, and vocal cords. Its structure includes three large unpaired cartilages—the thyroid, cricoid, and epiglottis—and three smaller paired cartilages—the arytenoids, corniculates, and...
01:23The Thyroid Gland
The follicles have a central cavity lined by simple cuboidal to squamous epithelial cells called follicular cells. These cells produce the glycoprotein...