Treatment, comorbidity and survival in stage III laryngeal cancer

The purpose of this study was for us to identify factors associated with survival and laryngeal function in a contemporary, population-based study of stage III laryngeal carcinoma.

Patients presenting to a tertiary center with stage III laryngeal carcinoma between 1999 and 2010 were included in the study. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analyses were utilized.

Of 137 patients receiving either surgery ± adjuvant therapy (SURG±Adj = 24.1%), chemoradiotherapy (CRT = 32.8%), or radiotherapy alone (RT = 36.5%), 5-year cause-specific survival (5-year CSS) was 81.0% and 2-year local relapse rate was 27.5%. RT had higher recurrence (p < .01), lower 5-year CSS (90.8% vs 87.8% vs 68.9%/SURG±Adj vs CRT vs RT/p = .0026) and lower overall survival (p = .001). Adjusting for excess of severe comorbidity in the RT group, there was no difference in 5-year CSS between treatment modality.

SURG±Adj and CRT had similar survival. Severe comorbidity was associated with selection bias to RT and reduced 5-year CSS. Comorbidity is a key prognostic variable and should be considered in the interpretation of treatment outcomes.