Detection rate of laryngeal cancer in A thorough medical check up performed by all japan national health insurance association of engineering & construction

Abstract

In a through medical check up of engineering & construction and ordinary workers, 2702 and 110 people respectively, laryngeal fiberscopy was performed for 97 suspicious cases that were picked up by indirect laryngoscopy. Endoscopically guided biopsies were emploved to some of those cases. Glottic abnormalities were found in 53 cases of 97 suspicious people, namely 1.9% of all examined. Those 53 cases were 5 cases of laryngeal carcinoma (T1), 4 of either Keratosis, Papilloma or benign squamous hyperplasia, 12 of vocal cord polyp, 2 of vocal cord haematoma, 12 of chorditis, 7 of Reinke's edema and 3 of others. Each percentage was 0.18%, 0.14%, 0.43%, 0.07%, 0.43%, 0.25% & 0.11% respectively. All but one of chorditis and Reinke's edema belong to engineering & construction group. As for 1248 males over 50 year-old belonging to engineering & construction workers, the detection rate of laryngeal cancer was as high as 0.4 % and about same rate reported in references of people with hoarseness. Accordingly, the way of life in the engineering & construction workers, such as vocal abuse, smoking, drinking and so on, might be a cause of high detection rate of laryngeal cancer. This is why we should like to emphasize the necessity of medical check up, particularly laryngeal examination, for the engineering & construction workers. © 1988, The Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Society of Japan, Inc. All rights reserved.