The oncologic radicality of supracricoid partial laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy in the treatment of advanced N0-N1 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Objectives/Hypothesis: The aim of the study was to evaluate the oncologic outcome of our series of advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas, primarily treated by supracricoid laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy or total laryngectomy, to compare the two therapeutic modalities. Study Design: Retrospective controlled study. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical files, operative charts, and pathology reports of 83 patients who underwent total laryngectomy or supracricoid laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy between February 1999 and March 2009. We only included cases in which both surgical treatments were feasible. Endpoints included local control, locoregional control, overall survival, and disease-specific survival. Results: When we stratified the patients according to T stage, no statistically significant differences emerged in terms of overall and disease-specific survival. When we compared total laryngectomy to cricohyoidopexy in N1 patients, 3-year overall survival and disease-specific survival differences were statistically relevant (P.022 and P.030, respectively). Conclusions: Total laryngectomy warranted better results in term of overall and disease-specific survival, although the differences were not statistically significant. Local and locoregional control in the two treatment groups were overlapping, showing that cricohyoidopexy (when technically feasible) could be a valid surgical option in selected advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.