Results of supraglottic laryngeal cancer treatment with endoscopic surgery using CO2 laser

A group of 253 patients with laryngeal carcinoma was treated by endoscopic laser-CO2 surgery, 50 of them presented a supraglottic localization. The follow up period ranged from 1 to 10 years. From the analysis of different parameters (age, site, stage, histopathology, etc) it could be concluded that survival and free-symptoms-time rates in patients treated with laser endoscopy were similar to those obtained in patients treated with conventional external surgery. However, the endoscopic laser-CO2 surgery reported several advantages such as: no pharyngostoma, less complications, shorter stay in hospital and, consequently, lower health costs. In addition, tracheotomy was almost never necessary. Recurrencies can be also treated endoscopically, but, when total laryngectomy is needed following recurrency, this is considered to be a bad prognostic factor.