ENDOSCOPIC PARTIAL RESECTIONS WITH THE CO 2-LASER IN LARYNGEAL CARCINOMAS .2. RESULTS

This study presents the results of CO2 laser surgery in the curative t reatment of 114 carcinomas of the vocal cord (Tls:8, T1a:88, Tlb:10, T 2:8) and 30 supraglottic carcinomas (T1:4, T2:11, T3:8, T4:7). In 21 p atients with supraglottic carcinomas, additional radiotherapy was appl ied. Eleven patients underwent neck dissection. For the group of vocal cord carcinomas, 104 of 114 patients were free of recurrences after l aser surgery. The ten recurrences were treated by irradiation (n=3), r epeated laser surgery (n=3), and salvage laryngectomy (n=3). One patie nt refused further treatment and died tumor related. 113 of 114 patien ts with glottic are without evidence of disease. For the group of pati ents with supraglottic carcinomas, six patients died without evidence of local disease. Two patients died of secondary malignancy without ev idence of local recurrence. Four patients died of their tumor. Today, eighteen patients are without evidence of local or metastatic disease. In fourteen of these patients, the follow-up is longer than two years . Our data indicate that the oncological outcome after laser surgery i s comparable to conventional open partial resection, whereas the funct ional outcome especially in supraglottic carcinomas is superior follow ing laser surgery. In comparison to radiotherapy, the oncological outc ome after laser surgery is better and functional results are only slig htly inferior. Laser surgery should therefore take its place as an est ablished treatment of supraglottic and glottic carcinomas.