Larynx preservation surgery in pyriform sinus cancer

As a general rule, surgery, whenever possible followed by irradiation, is c onsidered to be a standard treatment for pyriform sinus cancer. In early pr imary lesions, many different approaches have been tried for larynx preserv ation. From 1990-1997, 7 patients with pyriform sinus carcinoma without the involvement of pyriform sinus apex were treated with partial laryngopharyn gectomy at the Asan Medical Center. Three patients were T1 stage and four w ere T2. All patients had nodal metastases and were treated with neck dissec tion and postoperative radiotherapy. Follow-up period was 1-8 years. One re gional recurrence and one distant metastasis occurred; however, there was n o recurrence at the primary site. The voices of all the patients were saved . The most uncomfortable postoperative symptom was mild aspiration. From th ese results, we can conclude that partial laryngopharyngectomy with neck di ssection might be the favorable treatment modality for selected cases of py riform sinus cancer.