[Effectiveness of repeated radiotherapy in patients with laryngeal cancer]

The authors present the results of repeated radiotherapy of 86 patients with laryngeal cancer; of them 64 (74.4%) had local recurrences, 13 (15.2%) extended tumor growth and 9 (10.4%) metastases to the neck lymph nodes. Immediate cure was achieved in 36 (42%) patients, the volume of involvement not exceeding 1 cm3 irrespective of the site of a recurrence in the larynx. Long-term results were followed up in 74 patients after repeated irradiation. Thirty-seven patients have been alive from 1 to 13 years, disease extension was noted in 13, 19 patients were operated upon, and 5 died of laryngeal cancer. Late radiation complications were revealed in 13 (17.5%) patients. Basing on the previous results (V. V. Kholin, 1979, 1981) one can conclude that in order to avoid radiation complications the summary focal dose in repeated irradiation should not exceed in an equivalent value the optimum single therapeutic dose of 24 Gy with reference to 1 cm3 of the involvement volume.