Uncommon malignant tumours of the larynx. A 35 year review

Sixty-five primary malignant laryngeal tumours, other than simple squamous cell carcinomas, treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital between 1949 and 1984 are presented. Of the 11 histological types pseudosarcomas (24 cases), verrucous carcinomas (9 cases) and lymphoreticular tumours (9 cases) predominated. Determinate three-year follow-up data were available in 50 cases. Sixteen patients (32 per cent) died of their neoplasms but survival was strongly related to histology. Only one death occurred among 24 determinate cases of pseudosarcoma and verrucous carcinoma. Radiotherapy was effective treatment for these two tumour types and for reticuloendothelial tumours. However, combined therapy yielded poor results with the other histological types.