Long-Term Care and Follow-Up in Laryngeal Cancer Patients: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

Purpose: We conducted an outcome analysis on surgically treated laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients. Methods: A multicenter retrospective study with 352 patients was analyzed. A new nomogram that incorporates age, T- and N-classification, and treatment was created. Results: Recurrence was observed in 65 (18.5%) patients after a mean time of 16.5 months. After 60 months, 91 (25.9%) of patients developed secondary primary tumors (SPT), most commonly in the lungs (n = 29; 8.2%) followed by other head and neck cancers (n = 21; 6.0%). Notably, the mean time to occurrence of secondary head and neck cancers was twice that of lung cancer (101.1 vs. 47.5 months). Conclusion: Recurrent disease is less common in LSCC patients and appears much earlier than SPT. Because one in every four laryngeal cancer patients develops SPTs within 5–10 years, long-term care and follow-up, including imaging studies, are highly recommended. The nomogram was useful for estimating survival.