Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate the oncological results of patients with early glottic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) submitted to CO2 laser endoscopic resection. The rate of recurrence, rate of larynx preservation after CO2 laser endoscopic resection of early glottic cancer, and length of hospital stay were evaluated.
Methods: Thirty-six patients with early glottic SCC were enrolled in this study. Twenty-one patients were staged as T1 and other 15 as T2. All necks were clinically negative. All patients were submitted to CO2 laser endoscopic resection of their lesions. Margin control was obtained with frozen section. Adjuvant radiation therapy was performed in cases with positive additional margin with regard to the intraoperative surgical findings of these margins or when poor prognostic factors were observed on permanent sections. Statistical results were obtained with Fisher exact test.
Results: Local recurrence was observed in three patients (8.3%) with positive margins on permanent section (P = 0.005). All three were salvaged with a second endoscopic resection of recurrence or open partial laryngectomy or total laryngectomy (one case). All patients spent at most 1 day at the hospital and after were sent home. Tracheotomy was not performed in any patient and a feeding tube was not used in any patient.
Conclusions: The local control rate was 91.7%, and local recurrence was observed in 8.3% of patients. The rate of larynx preservation was 92.7%. All patients left the hospital at most after 24 hours of surveillance.