Laryngeal Malignancy: A Retrospective Descriptive Analysis (original) (raw)

2016, Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences

BACKGROUND Laryngeal cancer is the second most common head and neck cancer in India. The onset, rate of progression and duration of symptoms are variable for supraglottic, glottic and subglottic cancer. Smoking and alcohol are also most important risk factors for laryngeal cancer. Data regarding cases of laryngeal cancer in relation to age, sex, symptoms and signs, aetiological factors with special reference to smoking and alcohol, histopathological types, tumour staging, treatment and outcomes are important to assess changing trends in laryngeal cancer treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study is about retrospective descriptive analysis of diagnosed and treated cases of laryngeal cancer in the Department of ENT from 2005 to 2008. Total fifty patients with laryngeal malignancy were seen from May 2005 to May 2008 with average 1 year of follow-up. Data regarding cases of laryngeal cancer in relation to age, sex, symptoms and signs, aetiological factors with special reference to smoking and alcohol, histopathological types, tumour staging, treatment and outcomes were analysed using SPSS software. All patients who were diagnosed to have laryngeal cancer and treated were included in the study. RESULTS In this descriptive analysis, 62% patients are between 51-70 years. Most of the patients had been symptomatic for 3-5 months; 58% patients presented with voice change followed by other complaints like throat pain, foreign body sensation, otalgia, breathing difficulty. Voice change was distinctly the most common symptom regardless of tumour site. It was more prevalent in glottis cases, but it was also the leading symptom in supraglottic tumours. Glottis tumours were more often found at an early stage and patients with a supraglottic tumour presented more often with neck node metastasis. CONCLUSION Laryngeal malignancy is one of the head and neck malignancies, which are more common in males. Tobacco is an important risk factor in causation of the laryngeal malignancy. Patient usually presents with voice change. Voice change is the most common presenting symptom in glottic cases than supraglottis. Squamous cell carcinoma is most common type and moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma is most common variety. As laryngeal cancer is a public health problem with early detection and increasing the awareness of smoking hazards, it is possible to decrease the incidence of laryngeal cancer.