[Topographical and clinico-oncologic analysis of locoregional recurrence after transoral laser surgery for laryngeal cancer].

204 patients with carcinoma in situ or infiltrating carcinoma of the larynx were treated with transoral laser partial laryngectomies and, in selected cases, staged neck dissections and postoperative radiotherapy. 169 tumours were glottic, 28 supraglottic and 7 subglottic in origin. Up to now, 21 local and regional recurrences were diagnosed. 16 patients presented with recurrent tumour in the larynx, 3 in the larynx and in the cervical lymph nodes, and two in the neck only with no recurrence at the site of the primary. Out of 19 recurrences in the larynx, 10 were found at the anterior commissure, 5 in the transglottic space, 1 in the arytenoid region and two in the supraglottis. The vast majority of all recurrences were discovered during the first two years after primary treatment. 14 patients were treated with total laryngectomy, two with a second transoral laser resection, one with supraglottic laryngectomy, one with subtotal laryngectomy and two with neck dissections. One patient refused further treatment. 5 patients have so far died due to uncontrollable tumour spread. The analysis of local recurrences demonstrates, that deeply infiltrating tumours at the anterior commissure cannot be steadily removed by transoral laser surgery. Future development of transoral procedures must either focus on complete transoral resection of the anterior part of the thyroid cartilage or at least achieve thermal sterilisation of this area.