Benefits and drawbacks of open partial horizontal laryngectomies, part A: Early- to intermediate-stage glottic carcinoma

Background: Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) accounts for 1.9% of cancers worldwide. Most of these are diagnosed in the early stages (T1-T2, and N0). For these, a larynx preserving/conserving option is preferable. Beyond transoral laser microsurgery (TLM), open partial horizontal laryngectomy is a function-sparing surgical technique used to treat laryngeal SCC. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcomes of 216 patients who underwent open partial horizontal laryngectomy for glottic cT2 laryngeal cancer. Results: Five-year overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DFS), locoregional control, local control, laryngeal function preservation, and laryngectomy-free survival rates were 93.1%, 98.0%, 97.1%, 97.5%, 97.8%, and 98.5%, respectively. Disease controls were significantly affected by previous treatment and type of surgery used. Conclusion: Although TLM for cT2 laryngeal cancer with unimpaired vocal cord mobility still represents a sound option, open partial horizontal laryngectomy offers higher local control and laryngeal preservation rates for selected patients with impaired mobility of vocal cords combined with involvement of the paraglottic space.