INFLUENCE OF AGE ON LARYNGEAL CARCINOMA

The constant increase in human life expectancy has led to a higher pro portion of oncologic patients of advanced age. The clinical characteri stics of 272 patients with laryngeal carcinoma diagnosed when they wer e 70 or older are compared with those of a group of younger patients w ith the same kind of tumor. The advanced age group showed a higher pro portion of women, less tobacco and alcohol use, a predominance of glot tic location, and a higher previous morbidity, The T category was simi lar in both groups, but the advanced age group had a higher proportion of NO tumors. The planning of treatment was similar in the two groups of patients, except for less use of both chemotherapy and partial lar ynx surgery in the advanced age group. Results in terms of local and r egional control, distant metastasis, and 5-year adjusted survival were similar in both groups of patients, The results suggest that advanced age is not a determining factor when considering radical treatment in a patient with laryngeal carcinoma.