Outcomes of transoral laser microsurgery for recurrent head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To report our outcomes with salvage CO2 laser surgery following recurrence of laryngeal and oropharyngeal cancer after radiotherapy.

METHOD: This study entailed a prospective review of patients treated with transoral laser microsurgery for recurrent laryngeal and oropharyngeal cancer between 2002 and 2010 at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Science Centre in Canada.

RESULTS

Sixteen patients were identified, with a mean follow up of 30.6 months. Five patients died of recurrence. Complications were common in patients with oropharyngeal cancer. The overall survival and disease-free survival rates at an average of 29.8 months follow up were 50 per cent and 68.8 per cent respectively.

CONCLUSION

Salvage surgery using transoral laser microsurgery should be considered in the management of patients with recurrent laryngeal and oropharyngeal cancer. This technique offers acceptable salvage rates with less comorbidity than other treatments.