Page 55 - Portuguese Journal - SPORL - Vol 61. Nº2
P. 55
Clinical versus pathological staging in
laryngectomized patients
Review Article
Authors Abstract
Aim: To assess the accuracy of clinical staging in
Cristina Aguiar laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer, as well
Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Centro as its impact on the choice of treatment and
Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Portugal associated factors
Study Design: Retrospective.
Mónica Teixeira Material and Methods: We reviewed patients who
Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Centro underwent total laryngectomy between 2013 and
Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Portugal
2021.
Paulo Pina Results: This study evaluated 54 patients, almost
Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Centro all were men with a mean age of 61 years.
Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Portugal There was a discrepancy between clinical and
pathological overall staging in 17 cases. There was
Edite Coimbra Ferreira greater accuracy in the diagnosis of invasion of the
Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Centro pre-epiglottic space, anterior commissure, cricoid
Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Portugal cartilage, and contralateral and extra-laryngeal
invasion, as opposed to invasion of the paraglottic
Leandro Ribeiro space and thyroid cartilage.
Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Centro
Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Portugal Conclusions: The correct characterization of this
tumor requires greater accuracy in the diagnostic
Pedro Oliveira evaluation of invasion of the paraglottic space and
Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Centro thyroid cartilage.
Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Portugal Keywords: Laryngeal cancer, total laryngectomy,
clinical stage, pathological stage
Introduction
Cancer of the larynx is the third most common
head and neck neoplasm and squamous cell
carcinoma is the most frequent histological
subtype. About half of the cases are diagnosed
1
in the advanced stages of the disease (III and
IV), resulting in a 5-year disease-free survival
rate of less than 50%.
2,3
The TNM classification is thought to be
reliable for the evaluation of tumor extension
(T) and metastasis, both regional (N) and
distant (M), and is considered essential for
adequate therapeutic decision-making and
2
Correspondence: prognostic assessment. Pathological staging
Cristina Aguiar is the gold-standard; however, it involves the
cristinaaguiar16@gmail.com
surgical removal of the larynx and neck lymph
nodes. Because of the effects of the disease
1
Article received on December 13, 2022. and its treatment on swallowing, breathing,
Accepted for publication on February 12, 2023.
and speaking, there has been a paradigmatic
Volume 61 . Nº2 . June 2023 197
