Laryngeal carcinoma in patients 40 years of age and younger

Between 1950 and 1985, 570 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx were diagnosed and treated in the Otolaryngology Department of the Beilinson Medical Center. Of these, 20 patients (2.8%) were aged 40 years or younger. Twelve patients (60%) had glottic carcinoma in Stage I (T1N0M0) when initially diagnosed, one patient had supraglottic carcinoma in Stage I (T1N0M0) and seven patients (35%) had laryngeal carcinoma in Stage II (T2N0M0) and III (T3N0M0). Patients with T1N0M0 received only radiotherapy. Three patients with T2N0M0 underwent total laryngectomy and also received postoperative radiotherapy. Four patients with the tumor in T3N0M0 received pre-operative and postoperative radiotherapy in addition to total laryngectomy. The 5-year survival rate for T1N0M0 and T2N0M0 was 100% and for T3N0M0 66%. Although a high percentage of the young patients presented for treatment with advanced disease, the survival rate compared the same or favorably with rates in older patients. This supports the concept of aggressive treatment when there is a recurrence or second primary, particularly because it is well tolerated in the young age group who do not exhibit many of the conventional risk factors and therefore, have a better prognosis.