T3 glottic carcinoma revisited. Transglottic vs pure glottic carcinoma

To compare results of treatment of patients who have T3 transglottic carcinoma with patients who have T3 pure glottic carcinoma.

A retrospective cohort study from January 1976 to December 1990 with a minimum 2-year follow-up.

Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

The medical records of 161 patients with T3 glottic carcinoma were reviewed. We excluded 17 patients who were unavailable for follow-up or who had died of other causes but were free of glottic carcinoma. Therefore, 144 patients were entered into this study--79 patients with transglottic carcinoma and 65 with pure glottic carcinoma.

Three treatment groups consisted of the following: 30 patients in whom a full course of radiation therapy failed and who subsequently underwent salvage surgery; 92 patients who underwent surgery only; and 22 patients who underwent surgery and had postoperative radiation therapy. Seventy-five patients had total laryngectomy, and 69 had total laryngectomy with neck dissection.

Cervical metastasis, extracapsular spread, local failure, stomal recurrence, distant metastasis, and 2 years with no evidence of disease.

Patients with T3 transglottic carcinoma had a higher incidence of occult cervical metastasis (12% vs 9%), overall cervical metastasis (27% vs 17%), and extracapsular spread (43% vs 27%) than did patients with T3 pure glottic carcinoma. Two years of no disease was similar in these two groups (80% vs 79%). Extracapsular spread had a notable effect on distant metastasis and on 2 years of no disease.

Patients with T3 transglottic carcinoma had a higher incidence of cervical metastasis and extracapsular spread than patients with T3 pure glottic carcinoma. Every patient with T3 transglottic carcinoma should be treated with total laryngectomy with neck dissection.