Endoscopic supraglottic laryngectomy had a significantly lower functional impact on swallowing than ONSL, even though it was not subjectively perceived by patients, and was associated with less morbidity and a shorter hospitalization time.

Age (>60 vs ≤60), type of cordectomy (≥IV vs ≤III), status of margins, fixed arytenoid, and pathologic T classification, were the variables associated with RFS, OS, and organ-preservation rate. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Head Neck 39: 71-81, 2017.

Eighty patients affected by supraglottic cancer were treated by transoral carbon dioxide laser surgery between 1989 and 2006 in two Italian institutions. Patient staging was as follows: 2 pTis, 20 pT1, 38 pT2, and 20 pT3. Simultaneous or 1-month delayed neck dissection (ND) was performed on 27 (34%) patients, unilaterally in 10 and bilaterally in 17. The pN category was as follows: 9 pN0, 6 pN1, 8 pN2b, and 4 pN2c. A total of 16 (20%) patients received complementary radiotherapy (RT) and 5 (6%) were subjected to chemo-RT for persistent tumor after re-excision due to positive margins, multiple lymph nodes, and/or extracapsular spread after ND. The last follow-up was in December 2008. The 5-year overall, disease-specific and disease-free survivals, local control with laser alone, and organ preservation rates calculated by Kaplan-Meier analysis were 84.4, 97.4, 88.3, 96, and 97.2%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed a statistically significant impact on disease-free survival, local control with laser alone, and organ preservation of pT category (p = 0.009, p = 0.01, and p = 0.03, respectively), while pN category and tumor stage negatively influenced disease-free survival (p = 0.007 and p = 0.01, respectively). This series confirms the good overall oncologic outcomes obtained by transoral laser surgery for Tis, T1, T2, and selected T3 supraglottic cancer with minimal pre-epiglottic space involvement.

Laser removal of early glottic cancer is oncologically adequate with margins greater than 1 mm from the tumor edge. Positive margins require further treatment; close margins may require further treatment depending on tumor characteristics.

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Patients:The study, which was conducted between May 1999 and September 2005, included 37 consecutive patients (33 men and 4 women) with recurrent glottic cancer after radiotherapy. Selection criteria were as follows: rcTis, rcT1, or rcT2 with subglottic or supraglottic involvement of less than 5 mm and no arytenoid invasion; adequate laryngeal exposure; no previous open surgery; no contraindications to general anesthesia; and signed consent.Interventions: Endoscopic laser surgery with curative intent using types III to V cordectomies according to the European Laryngological Association.Main Outcome Measures: Five-year actuarial recurrence-free and overall survival, complications, and rate of laryngeal preservation. Results:The clinical classifications of the recurrences were rcTis (n=4), rcT1a (n=10), rcT1b (n=11), and rcT2 (n = 12). The pathologic classifications of the recurrences were rpT0 (n=2), rpTis (n=5), rpT1a (n=9), rpT1b (n=3), rpT2 (n=14), and rpT3 (n=4). The median follow-up was 44 months (range, 18-88 months). New recurrences developed in 13 patients (35%): 11 were treated by total laryngectomy, 1 by supracricoid laryngectomy, and 1 by chemotherapy. Three patients died of laryngeal cancer, 1 is alive with disease, and 1 died of a second cancer. Five-year actuarial recurrence-free and overall survival rates were 58% and 86%, respectively. The larynx was preserved in 26 patients (70%). Laryngeal stenosis was the most common major complication (in 3 of 4 women and 1 of 33 men).

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• Surface coil MRI demonstrated good accuracy in assessing laryngeal cartilage invasion. • The radiologist's experience can influence the diagnostic accuracy. • Gadolinium administration may increase interobserver concordance.