RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Laser cordectomy has been widely acknowledged to have advantages for the treatment of early glottic carcinoma. This study was performed to assess the results of laser cordectomy for its oncologic safeness, time-effectiveness, and to report a few interesting precancerous cases that have progressed to glottic cancer. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Subjects (47) who had undergone laser cordectomy for the treatment of early glottic cancer from April 2006 to July 2009 were enrolled in this study. We analyzed the oncologic outcomes, the duration of hospital treatment after the surgery, and postoperative complications by reviewing of medical records. RESULTS: For 47 cases, the mean age was 66 years and the mean follow up period was 22.6 months. The mean duration of treatment was 1.9 days. Among them, 24 cases were classified into T1a, 12 T1b, and 2 T2. Local recurrence was observed in 2 cases, so salvage treatments, such as radiation therapy or near total laryngectomy, were performed, and both of them were alive in the disease-free state. The most common complication was anterior commissure web, which was observed in 6 cases (15.8%), followed by granuloma observed in 5 cases (13.1%). Serious complications such as aspiration, respiratory distress, and dysphagia were not found in any of 47 cases. Also, we could observe 3 cases in which the precancerous glottic lesion had progressed to glottic carcinoma over a long period of time. CONCLUSION: Laser cordectomy might be the treatment of choice for patient's convenience because of its excellent oncologic outcomes, low morbidity, and time-effectiveness.