EPILARYNX - PHARYNX OR LARYNX

Background. As a general rule, epilarynx is studied as a part of supra glottis. On the contrary, in France, due to its particular natural his tory, it is often studied separately. Methods. To assess the value of this French classification, we compared from an epidemiologic point of view, in one study, 86 cases of epilarynx squamous cell carcinoma (SC C) with 431 oropharynx, 339 hypopharynx, and 89 vestibule SCC. In anot her study, we compared, from a clinical point of view, 232 epilarynx S CC with 1351 oropharynx, 652 hypopharynx, and 372 vestibule SCC. Resul ts. Epilarynx patients appeared to be much heavier drinkers than laryn x patients and similar to pharynx patients but tobacco consumption did not differ. The patterns of nodal involvement were similar for pharyn x and epilarynx SCC. For stages I and II, patterns of failures were si milar, but for stages III and IV, there were fewer locoregional failur es in vestibule patients; distant metastases were equally frequent for these tumors. From the standpoint of multiple primaries, epilarynx SC C appeared to be more akin to pharynx than to larynx SCC with a much l ower incidence of lung cancers. Finally, the outcome after treatment w as different for vestibule, epilarynx, and pharynx SCC, with a 5-year survival of 43%, 27%, and 13%, respectively. Conclusions. These data s upport the identification of epilarynx as a real entity that should be taken into account for stratification in clinical trials. (C) 1995 Jo hn Wiley and Sons, Inc.