CO2 laser combined with low-temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation promotes recovery of swallowing function in elderly patients with early glottic carcinoma

Objective: This study was designed to determine the effect of CO2 laser combined with low-temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation (LPRA) on swallowing function and prognosis in elderly patients with early glottic laryngeal cancer (GLC). Methods: The clinical data of 115 elderly patients with early GLC treated in General Hospital of Daqing Oil Field from May 2013 to September 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were assigned to a research group or control group according to different therapeutic regimen. Totally 56 cases treated with CO2 laser resection were assigned to the control group, and 59 cases treated with CO2 laser combined with LPRA were assigned to the research group. The hospital stay, postoperative pain, mucosal recovery score, postoperative com-plications, swallowing function, vocal function, and 5-year recurrence rate were compared between the two groups. Independent risk factors for 5-year recurrence in patients were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Results: The research group was significantly superior to the control group in terms of hospital stay, postoperative pain, and mucosal recovery score (P<0.05), and the postoperative complication rate was not significantly different between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment, the research group showed better swallowing function and vocal function than the control group, and the 5-year recurrence rate of the two groups was similar (P=0.288). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified higher age, lower differentiation, and presence of a cumulative anterior commissure as independent risk factors for recurrence. Conclusion: CO(2 )laser combined with LPRA can provide relatively high clinical efficacy for early GLC in the elderly, after which patients' swallowing function and vocal function recover quickly, but the long-term benefit of adding LPRA is not evident.