Salvage Partial Laryngectomy after Failed Radiotherapy: Oncological and Functional Outcomes

Objective: To investigate oncological and functional outcomes in patients treated with salvage partial laryngectomy (SPL) after failed radio/chemotherapy. Study design: Retrospective multicenter chart review. Methods: Medical records of patients treated with SPL from January 1998 to January 2018 in two University Medical centers were retrieved. The SPL included horizontal supraglottic laryngectomy, hemi-laryngectomy and crico-hyoido-epiglottopexy. The following outcomes were investigated: histopathological features; overall survival (OS); recurrence-free survival (RFS) local and regional controls; post-operative speech recovery; and the oral diet restart and decannulation. Results: The data of 20 patients with cT1-cT3 laryngeal cancer were collected. The mean follow-up of patients was 69.7 months. The mean hospital stay was 43.0 days (16-111). The following complications occurred in the immediate post-operative follow-up: neck fistula (N = 6), aspiration pneumonia (N = 5), and chondronecrosis (N = 2). Early or late total laryngectomy was carried out over the follow-up period for the following reasons: positive margins and local recurrence/progression (N = 7), chondronecrosis (N = 2) and non-functional larynx (N = 1). The restart of the oral diet was carried out in 12/15 (80%) SPL patients (five patients being excluded for totalization). All patients recovered speech, and decannulation was performed in 14 patients (93%). The 5-year OS and RFS were 50% and 56%, respectively. The 5-year local and regional control rates were 56% and 56%, respectively. Conclusions: Partial laryngectomy is an alternative therapeutic approach to total laryngectomy in patients with a history of failed radiation.