DOES PROLONGED TREATMENT COURSE ADVERSELY AFFECT LOCAL-CONTROL OF CARCINOMA OF THE LARYNX

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present local control rates o f carcinoma of the larynx in relation to the total treatment course af ter radical radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: A total of 1350 patients with laryngeal carcinoma treated at the Massachusetts General Hospital for the past three decades were available for analysis. Trea tment courses were divided into two groups: 45 days and > 45 days. The local control rates were compared and evaluated for statistical diffe rences. Results: The data indicated that prolonged treatment course ad versely affects local tumor control of both advanced glottic and supra glottic lesions, but to a lesser degree for the early tumors. Conclusi on: The study indicated that for optimal local control, radiation trea tment should be completed as soon as possible, preferably within 6.5 w eeks, either by once- or twice-daily accelerated programs. The local c ontrol of early T-1 glottic cancer has been exceedingly satisfactory b y conventional once-daily radiation therapy. Further improvement by sh ortening of treatment time for such early lesions will be difficult to assess without a prospective randomized trial.