Oncologic outcomes of transoral laser surgery of supraglottic carcinoma compared with a transcervical approach

Background. To evaluate the oncologic effectiveness of transoral laser surgery of supraglottic cancer, we compared a group of patients treated with laser surgery, with a stage-matched group treated with a transcervical approach. Methods. Twenty-six patients who underwent laser surgery were retrospectively compared with 26 patients who underwent a transcervical approach. In both groups, the patients were classified as follows: 8% stage I, 23% stage II, 46% stage III, and 23% stage IV. Results. The 5-year disease-specific survival rates were 80% for the laser group and 72% for the transcervical group (p = .5). The ultimate 5-year laryngeal preservation rate was 86% in the laser group and 80% in the transcervical group (p = .6). In both arms, all patients classified as T1 and T2 who survived 5 years after the surgical treatment of tumors retained the larynx. Conclusions. The oncologic results of transoral laser surgery of supraglottic cancer are equivalent to those of the classic transcervical approach. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.