A Clinical Study on Early Glottic Carcinoma Treated with Radiotherapy and Salvage Surgery for Recurrence

Background: Early glottic cancers are treated effectively with radiation or surgery but recurrence is a possibility which requireseither salvage surgery or radiotherapy (RT) depending on the initial treatment modality adopted. Conservation surgery is feasiblein approximately one-third of these recurrent cancers. Endoscopic resections using a CO2 laser or open partial laryngectomyare the current options. Similarly, if initial surgery was used to treat glottic cancers (i) repeated RT with or without chemotherapy,(ii) salvage surgery, (iii) supportive treatment, and/or (iv) palliative chemotherapy is the choices of treatment.Aim of the Study: The aim of the study was to clinically assess the result of RT as initial treatment in the control of squamous cellcarcinoma (SCC) of vocal cord (T1) lesions and undertaking salvage surgery (endoscopic or open) when there is a recurrence.Materials and Methods: Retrospectively medical records of 49 patients were analyzed with T1 SCC of the glottis in which RTwas an initial treatment with a follow-up period of 5 years.Observations and Results: The rate of recurrence after RT was 7/49 (14.28%) of the cases, mean diagnosis interval was31.8 ± 8.75 months. 2/7 (28.57%) patients underwent salvage endoscopic surgery (transmuscular Cordectomy), 3/7 (42.85%)patients underwent open surgery and excision of the tumor and the vocal cord (Horizontal partial Laryngectomy). 1/7 (14.28%)patient was treated with total laryngectomy due to a new recurrence.Conclusions: The recurrence rate was 14.28% in this study of treatment of early cancers of vocal cords (T1) by RT which ishigh when compared to the literature. RT can be a treatment option, but the patient must be aware that higher cure rates canbe achieved through surgery. Partial laryngectomy was more effective for salvage surgery