[Subtotal-supracrioid laryngectomy (SCSL): the importance of the histopathological analysis]

The purpose of conservative surgical treatment of laryngeal cancer is to obtain cancer control with preservation of laryngeal function, and in turn, the preservation of laryngeal function should be understood as the preservation of the patient's ability to ventilate in the normal way without tracheostomy and without aspiration and maintaining intelligible speech. This objective is achieved by maintaining a balance between two fundamental aspects: proper patient selection (based on tumor extension and preoperative laryngeal function) and an adequate histopathological analysis of the surgical specimen. Supracricoid subtotal laryngectomy (SCSL) is the voice conservative surgical technique which offers the best possibility of control in patients with locally advanced laryngeal cancer, and the proper histopathological analysis allows staging and selecting patients eligible for adjuvant therapy, avoiding unnecessary therapies, and allows design of a monitoring and surveillance program based on risk factors. The aim of this manuscript is to highlight key points in the histopathological evaluation of the surgical specimen of SCSL. The proper communication between the surgeon and pathologist, offering complete information on preoperative clinical evaluation and the knowledge of the key points in the evaluation of the surgical specimen (sites of tumor leakage and surgical resection margins) are fundamental parameters to achieve a proper histopathologic evaluation of the surgical specimen.