[Treatment of glottic cancer involving the anterior commissure by transoral CO(2) laser surgery].

Objective

To study the clinical outcome of transoral CO(2) laser surgery for glottic cancer involving the anterior commissure.

Methods

Thirty-two cases of glottic cancer involving the anterior commissure treated by transoral CO(2) laser surgery between March 2009 and December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Among these cases, 27 were T1bM0M0, 5 were T2N0M0. All cases were followed-up for more than 3 years.

Results

All the 32 cases were successfully treated. Perioperative complications included injuries in the soft palate mucosa(13/32, 40.63%), loose incisors(3/32, 9.38%) and subcutaneous emphysema in the neck(2/32, 6.25%). During the follow-up period, granulation was found in all cases. Three cases had local recurrence. Two patients treated by a secondary transoral CO(2) laser surgery and the other case had total laryngectomy, all three cases were followed up for 5 years without recurrence. Two cases had regional recurrence but no primary site recurrence. One patient was treated by neck dissection, and followed up for 5 years without recurrence. The other patient died of supraclavicular and mediastinal lymph node metastasis and lung metastasis 40 months after operation. The overall 5-year survival rate was 90.6%. There was no significant difference in survival rate between T1bN0M0(92.6%) and T2N0M0(80.0%) (Log Rank χ(2)=0.788, P=0.375). The overall 5-year local regional control rate was 84.4%. In T1bN0M0 lesions, the 5-year local regional control rate was 92.6%, which was significantly higher than that in T2N0M0 lesions(40.0%) (Log Rank χ(2)=9.504, P=0.002).

Conclusion

With appropriate surgical indication, detailed preoperative evaluation, good surgical skill, transoral CO(2) laser surgery may achieve satisfactory outcome in the treatment of glottic cancer involving the anterior commissure.