Upfront surgical organ-preservation strategy in advanced-stage laryngeal cancer

Oncological and functional impact of adjuvant treatments after open partial laryngeal surgery: a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The oncological and functional role of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) after open partial laryngeal surgery (OPLS) remains debatable.

METHODS

A systematic review and a meta-analysis of the literature were conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Outcomes of patients receiving OPLS with and without PORT for laryngeal cancer were summarized.

RESULTS

In the 10 studies that were included in the meta-analysis, no significant difference emerged in terms of pooled overall survival between OPLS patients who did and who did not receive PORT (- 0.3%, 95% CI - 5.4 to 4.9%, p = 0.922). Only one study showed a significantly higher incidence of complications in the PORT cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

PORT may apparently be performed after OPLS in face of adverse postoperative features without an increased risk of toxicities affecting the neolarynx. Because of the limitations in the available literature, the oncological and functional effects of PORT in this setting needs to be prospectively assessed to strengthen the evidence of this treatment strategy for laryngeal cancer.

Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) following Conservative Surgery of the Supraglottic Region: Impact on Functional Outcomes

Simple Summary

The present study has been suggested by the previous experience of our group showing that patients treated with conventional radiotherapy (named 3D conformal radiotherapy—3D-CRT) performed after conservative surgery (CS) for tumors of the supraglottic regions experienced a high rate of severe long-term toxicity. Therefore, we reported the toxicity profile of a similar cohort of patients treated with a high-precision radiotherapy technique (named intensity-modulated radiotherapy—IMRT). Moreover, to investigate the advantage of IMRT, we performed a comparison with a historical cohort treated with 3D-CRT. Results showed that patients treated with IMRT achieved a very low toxicity profile and comparison with 3D-CRT was in favor of IMRTs. Therefore, we believe that the results of the present study provide preliminary findings on the potential of IMRT in improving the toxicity profile of patients treated with surgical organ preservation strategies for laryngeal tumors.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) on the toxicity profile of patients treated with conservative surgery (CS) of the supraglottic (SG) region. Data on patients treated with CS and postoperative radiotherapy (PORT)-IMRT were prospectively collected. Results. In total, 20 patients were analyzed. Of these, six patients (35%) required the positioning of a temporary tracheostomy. The functional larynx preservation rate was 95%. Females had a higher risk of both endoscopic intervention and chondronecrosis, while the median age was significantly higher in patients requiring enteral nutrition. The incidence of long-term severe toxicities was lower in patients treated with IMRT than in the historical 3D-CRT cohort. Patients who had received PORT-IMRT achieved a lower rate of permanent laryngeal and swallowing dysfunctions. Overall, results from the comparison with the historical 3D-CRT cohort favor the IMRTs.