Concurrent chemoradiotherapy for organ function preservation in advanced patients with hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancer

Preservation of the larynx is the most critical factor influencing quality of life in the treatment of head and neck cancer. This clinical study focuses on laryngeal function-preserving chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancer. Thirty-two resectable cases with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma undergoing function-preserving therapy were examined. Induction chemotherapy comprised cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil, and another cycle of chemotherapy was performed for responders. Chemoradiotherapy comprised conventional irradiation and weekly chemotherapy (nedaplatin plus docetaxel). Non-responder patients were excluded from further chemotherapy and were changed to other surgical treatment. Three patients were non-responders for induction chemotherapy, and 29 patients were treated with chemoradiotherapy. Thus, 21 out of 29 patients obtained preserved laryngeal function. Initial larynx preservation rate with these treatment strategies was 93.8%. This study provides a new concept for laryngeal function-preserving treatment that should be considered for locally advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer.