Radiation therapy for T2N0 laryngeal cancer: A retrospective analysis for the impact of concurrent chemotherapy on local control

Purpose: The impact of concurrent chemotherapy on the local control in patients with T2N0 laryngeal cancer who receive radiation therapy (RT) was evaluated.

Methods and Materials: Sixty-three patients with T2N0 laryngeal cancer who were treated by definitive RT were analyzed. The primary site of the cancer was the glottis in 50 patients, the supraglottis in 9 patients, and the subglottis in 4 patients. Thirty-six patients were treated by RT alone and the remaining 27 patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Results: Complete response (CR) was obtained in 92% of the patients who received RT alone and 100% of the patients who received CRT. Voice preservation in the group who received CRT (89%) was significantly higher than that in the group treated by RT alone (61%). The 5-year disease-free survival rates in those who received concurrent CRT was significantly superior to that in the patients who received RT alone, although no significant difference was seen in the cause-specific survival rate between the 2 groups. The multivariate analysis revealed that the treatment method (RT alone vs. CRT) was the most significant risk factor that predicted recurrence after RT.

Conclusion: Concurrent CRT had a positive impact on the local control of T2N0 laryngeal cancer.

Keywords:  Laryngeal cancer , Radiation therapy , Chemotherapy , Voice preservation