Laryngeal Organ Preservation Protocols: Are They Effective?

Objective Understand the role of organ preservation protocol in locally advanced laryngeal carcinoma according to our experience and determine predictive factors. Method The study selected all patients treated between 2004 and 2009. During the study period, all patients began treatment with induction chemotherapy (3 cycles of cisplatin and 5‐fluoruracil in the majority of cases) followed by radiotherapy and concomitant or subsequent chemotherapy. The results were analyzed by clinical and image evaluation. Results The study included 40 patients, with mean age of 55 years (range, 38 to 72 years), mainly men. Smoke and alcohol were present in more than 50%, and 70.7% had no comorbidities. Hypopharynx was the most common place (65.8%). At the end of induction chemotherapy 34.2% of patients had an answer >80%. The overall survival is 59% at 3 years. The relapse rate was of 24.7% with an average of time of 8 months (4 to 56 months). No statistical differences were found between different groups of TMN staging system. Conclusion Different studies have shown that chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy is a valid alternative to surgery in locally advanced operable head and neck cancer, involving the larynx. Our study confirms these results. Local and cervical disease staging did not contribute as a predictive factor for survival or relapse.