Results of integrated management of supraglottic carcinoma

Between January 1957 and June 1974, 173 patients with carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx were treated by an integrated approach at the University of California in San Francisco. The policy was to use radiotherapy or surgery alone for Stage I and II disease, radiotherapy combined with either supraglottic laryngectomy or total laryngectomy for resectable Stage III and IV disease, and radiotherapy alone for advanced unresectable disease. Control of the disease in the primary site was achieved in 92% of T1a, 88% of T1b, 80% of T2, 79% of T3 and 56% of T4 lesions. Of the 36 patients with late Stage I and resectable Stages III and IV disease treated by combined preoperative radiotherapy and supraglottic or total laryngectomy, the primary lesion was controlled in 33 (92%). Recurrent disease in the primary site after radiotherapy alone, when detected early, was usually controlled by subsequent surgery, whereas recurrent disease after surgery was not controlled by radiotherapy. Preservation of a functioning vocal apparatus was achieved in 44% of the patients whose primary lesion was controlled. Control of cervical lymph node metastasis was achieved in 71% of N1, 38% of N2, and 25% of N3 disease. No disease recurred in the radically dissected neck which received preoperative radiotherapy. Radiotherapy also reduced the incidence of subsequent neck disease in patients without cervical lymph node metastasis initially from 23% to 14%.