Laryngeal preservation rates in patients treated with radiotherapy or

definitive concurrent chemo radiation; study in high volume cancer

center

INTRODUCTION:
The standard of care for patients with early-stage laryngeal cancer is radiotherapy and
for locally progressed disease is concurrent chemo radiotherapy with cisplatin in all
patients suitable for organ preservation. In patients not suitable for organ preservation
surgery (Total laryngectomy) followed by radiotherapy is used. This organ saving
treatment change from total laryngectomy to radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiation
has great impact on patients’ quality of life

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

The standard of care for patients with early-stage and locally advanced laryngeal cancer
is radical radiotherapy ( with or without concurrent chemotherapy). The aim of our study
is to assess the rate of laryngeal preservation following radical radiotherapy/ radical
chemoradiotherapy at 24 months of follow up at the largest cancer Centre in the
country.

METHODS AND MATERIALS:

this was a retrospective study comprising of a total of 100 patients with newly diagnosed
laryngeal cancer who received treatment at SKMCH&RC between December 2020 and
January 2022. This study included all patient with laryngeal cancer from stage I to III
with exclusion of stage IV disease. These patients received either radical radiotherapy
or concurrent chemo-radiotherapy based on their stage at presentation. Treatment was
delivered either through 3Dconformal technique (for early stage cancers) or with rapid
arc (VMAT) technique for locally advanced cancers.
This study evaluated the rate of laryngeal preservation at 2 years median follow up.

RESULTS:
At two years follow up, 10% of the patients had a local recurrence requiring salvage
laryngectomy and neck dissection. Hence our rate of laryngeal preservation at 2 years
median follow up was 90%. This is in line with the published data on laryngeal
preservation in other high volume cancer centers.