Identifying outcome predictors of transoral laser cordectomy for early glottic cancer.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of outcomes in patients with early glottic cancer treated by transoral laser cordectomy. METHODS This was an inception cohort study of 201 patients with early glottic cancer who were treated by transoral laser cordectomy. Five-year Kaplan-Meier analyses were realized. RESULTS Patients with anterior commissure involvement (n = 75) had a significantly lower disease-free survival (DFS) rate (54.6% vs 79.8%; p = .0004), ultimate local control with laser alone rate (71.0% vs 95.7%; p <  .0001), laryngeal preservation rate (91.6% vs 100%; p = .0003), and disease-specific survival (DSS) rate (90.8% vs 99.0%; p = .03). There was no significant difference in overall-survival (OS) rates (76.9% vs 88.5%; p = .29). Surgical margin status was not found to be a significant predictor of outcomes in this series. CONCLUSION Although anterior commissure involvement has a significant impact on outcomes, laser cordectomy remains a valuable option considering its high organ preservation and survival rates. In cases of local recurrence, all standard further treatment options remain available. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E406-E411, 2015.