Salvage surgery for recurrent laryngeal cancer following chemoradiotherapy

We analyzed salvage surgeries for recurrent laryngeal cancer following chemoradiotherapy. Between 1995 and 2001, all 23 patients with recurrent diseases after completion of chemoradiotherapy using carboplatin or cisplatin underwent total laryngectomy. Between 2002 and 2005, 10 patients underwent salvage surgeries after completion of chemoradiotherapy using docetaxel; total laryngectomy was performed in 6 patients and larynx-preserving surgeries were performed in 4 patients. Close follow-up for a longer period following chemoradiotherapy is recommended because not a few patients had recurrent diseases more than 2 years after completion of the treatment. Most patients who underwent total laryngectomy and insertion of indwelling voice prostheses achieved excellent to moderate speech ability. There was an increased risk of wound complications in patients undergoing salvage surgeries following chemoradiotherapy. Therefore, appropriate wound management for salvage surgeries is an important issue for head and neck surgeons. (author)