Organ Preservation Protocols in T4 Laryngeal Cancer: a Review of the Literature

Abstract

Population-based studies indicate that chemoradiation has become the most popular treatment for advanced laryngeal cancers; however, by extrapolating trial results to the general population, several issues have emerged, such as reduced overall survival, non-functional laryngeal preservation, and poor response to treatment. Although included in these trials, T4 laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers with cartilage invasion formed a small percentage of these patients and questions over whether they were appropriately staged remain unanswered. Literature on the use of chemoradiation in this set of patients, including the challenges, treatment considerations, and factors predicting response to treatment and outcomes, was reviewed. Current evidence indicates that all patients of T4 laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer are not suitable candidates for organ preservation; this modality should be offered only to select patients with good performance status and access to rehabilitative care and regular follow-up in order to achieve good results.