Glottic cancer with subglottic extension

The outcomes of 27 patients with glottic cancer extending into the subglottis (GCSE) who were treated by surgery and radiation (n = 17) or radiation alone (n = 10) during a 13-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Since this study was nonrandomized and retrospective, the patient groups were not equally matched with regard to age (p > 0.05), gender (p > 0.30), or disease stage (p > 0.05). The locoregional failure rate was 18 +/- [95% CI] 20% in patients who received combined therapy and 40 +/- 31% in persons treated by radiation alone (p = 0.20); the corresponding survival rates at two years were 53 +/- 24% and 42 +/- 31% (p > 0.50). These findings suggest that GCSE may be better managed by a combination of surgery and radiotherapy than by the use of radiotherapy alone.