[Analysis of the causes of failure in surgical treatment of cancer of the larynx].

In the years 1985-1990 within the group of 2769 patients operated upon for laryngeal cancer in four medical centres (Kraków, Poznań, Warszawa, Lublin), a clinical analysis on surgical treatment failures was performed. The most significant reasons of failures were: the highly advanced age of patients, coexistent diseases, in particular the cardiopulmonary disease; poor information of neoplastic diseases (carcinomas) and delayed referral to the doctor; lack of consent for surgical treatment; old fashioned diagnostic methods; prolonged period of making diagnosis; increasing number of patients with supra-glottic localization including the hypo-pharynx and piriform recess; a considerable degree of organ ++cancer advancement and substantial clinical advancement; not radical excision of neck glands; intra-surgical blood transfusion; micrometastases to lymphatic glands; immunity collapse; discontinuance of post-surgical radiation on affected parts; lack of lymphadenectomy backward from accessory nerve ; massive cancer metastases to lymph nodes; high histologic malignancy with characteristic carcinous invasiveness; and finally, surgical and post-surgical early and late complications ranginy within our material from 25% to 29% of surgical patients. Basing on the above mentioned analysis, the authors developed indications for surgical treatment of laryngeal cancer.