This is in contrast to most other

head and neck cancers, which are much less likely to be salvageable if they recur after initial non-surgical treatment. Conservation Laryngeal Surgery Conservation surgery (transoral laser or robotic surgery, or open partial laryngectomy) is an excellent option for many patients with early (T1/2N0) larynx Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical cancers, offering excellent oncologic control and functional outcomes.18–20 For advanced cancers, the role of conservation surgery is much more limited to cases which are either early T stage, but with http://www.selleckchem.com/products/VX-765.html concurrent cervical metastases, or select small-volume T3 cases. One of the drawbacks with conservation surgery

for advanced laryngeal cancer is the risk of greater functional deficit and higher risk of complications with more extensive resections. For example, resection of one arytenoid cartilage during supracricoid laryngectomy has been shown Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical to lead to increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, longer time to decannulation of tracheostomy tube, and poorer voice.21–25 Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Thus, the functional advantages of conservation surgery over non-surgical treatment may be less clear-cut. Another concern is that, in patients with palpable neck disease, concurrent neck dissection will need to be undertaken with the surgery, and postoperative radiotherapy will in most cases be recommended to optimize regional control. The administration of postoperative radiotherapy may also adversely affect functional outcomes, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical although as long as the dose to the larynx is kept at 50 Gy, the adverse impact should be within acceptable limits.26,27 Finally, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in the case of cancers undergoing open partial laryngectomy, patients will need to consent to proceeding to possible immediate total laryngectomy based on intraoperative findings and frozen sections. Total laryngectomy may also need

Electron transport chain to be considered in cases with positive margins at final histology. The risk of positive margins and possible need for total laryngectomy is more likely to be an issue for locally advanced primary tumors than for smaller primary tumors. However, given that many such cases are likely to be also amenable to treatment with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy with a reasonable expectation of good outcome, getting patients’ consent for an operation which may end up with total laryngectomy may be a “hard sell.” Nevertheless, for well-selected cases of “intermediate-stage” laryngeal cancer, conservation laryngeal surgery effected either by transoral laser or open partial surgical techniques can offer excellent oncological and functional outcomes.