Organ preservation for carcinoma of the larynx and hypopharynx

Treatment of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers often necessitates total laryngectomy. This article reviews approaches of curing patients with these diseases while preserving their larynxes. Strategies include radiation alone, neoadjuvant chemotherapy with radiation for responders, or concurrent chemotherapy and radiation. Both retrospective experiences and randomized trials evaluating differing therapies in an effort to achieve voice preservation are reported and analyzed.