[Observational study on patients with laryngeal cancer and/or vocal leukoplakia concurrent with laryngopharyngeal reflux].

Objective

To observe the incidence and to determine the significance of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) in laryngeal cancer and vocal leukoplakia.

Methods

The patients who had been diagnosed as laryngeal cancer or vocal leukoplakia between January 2014 and June 2017 were included in this study. All of them received 24-hour multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring. The prevalence of LPR and numerous parameters from the 24-hour pH monitoring in laryngeal cancer patient and vocal leukoplakia patient groups were analyzed. The chi-square test was used for counting data, t test and Mann-Whitney U were used for measuring data.

Results

In the 91 laryngeal cancer patients, the prevalence of pathologic LPR was 28.6%(26/91), the median number[P(25), P(75), P(95)]of acid reflux events was 0[0, 3, 5], time of acid exposure was 0[0, 14, 234]s, number of weakly acidic reflux events was 3[0, 6, 11]. In the 54 vocal leukoplakia patients, the prevalence of pathologic LPR was 29.6%(16/54), the number of acid reflux events was 0[0, 3, 4], time of acid exposure was 0[0, 13, 118]s, number of weakly acidic reflux events was 1.5[0, 5, 9]. The incidence of LPR did not vary in the laryngeal cancer patient and vocal leukoplakia patient groups, but were both higher than healthy Chinese volunteers according to a report in the other literature. Furthermore, all the three patients with no history of tobacco or alcohol existed acid or weakly acidic reflux episodes.

Conclusions

Laryngopharyngeal reflux might play a role as an etiologic factor in laryngeal cancer and vocal leukoplakia.