RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To analyze results of treatment and prognostic factors in patients with T3 supraglottic carcinoma and to compare results of treatment in patients with T3 transglottic carcinoma with T3 pure supraglottic carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A retrospective study was done on thirty-two patients who underwent a surgery or surgery with postoperative radiation therapy from 1990 to 2000. Neck dissection was performed in 27 patients and 24 patients received postoperative radiation therapy. RESULTS: The 3-year overall survival rate was 81.6%. The 3-year overall survival rate of T3 pure supraglottic carcinoma and T3 transglottic carcinoma were 91.7% and 73.2%, respectively (p<0.05). The univariate analysis revealed a prognostic significance for vocal cord fixation and statistical trend to age, dyspnea, clinical and pathological metastasis of cervical lymph node and postoperative radiation therapy (p<0.2). T3 transglottic carcinoma was significantly correlated with vocal cord fixation. CONCLUSION: Surgery or surgery with postoperative radiation therapy provides acceptable rates of cancer control and survival rate for patients with T3 supraglottic carcinoma. Transglottic involvement and vocal cord fixation shown by the fiberoptic laryngoscopy were significant prognostic factors. T3 transglottic cancer needs more aggressive management.