XLVIII Treatment of Cancer of the Larynx by Irradiation

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The management of 276 patients with cancer of the larynx treated primarily by radiation therapy from 1935 to 1957 inclusive at the Massachusetts General Hospital is reviewed and the radio-therapeutic results are evaluated according to the extent of the disease. Five-year survivals with 89% in Stage I, 82% Stage n, 49% in Stage IE and 13% in Stage IV are reported by means of radiation therapy. Primary curability of the laryngeal cancers has a great bearing to the advancement of the disease and is adversely proportional to the size of the lesions and the necessity of tracheostomy before irradiation. The rare radiation failures can be successfully cured by radical surgery. Twelve out of fourteen patients who were not cured by radiation therapy, but subsequently rescued by post-radiation laryn-gectomy were living and well without disease for three to five years. Satisfactory management of the cancer of the larynx does not depend greatly on the radiation modalities employed, but its success is greatly influenced by the experience of the radiotherapist as well as the basic understanding of the natural course of the disease. Super-voltage radiation has definite advantages over "conventional" 200 KV radiation, in terms of patient''s comfort, tissue reactions and its easy applicability, and is therefore the therapeutic modality of choice.

This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit: