Treatment-induced changes in vocal cord mobility and subsequent local recurrence after organ preservation therapy for laryngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND As multidisciplinary cancer treatment evolves, strategies to identify patients needing early resection/salvage are necessary. Some have suggested that vocal cord function after organ-preservation treatment may be an indicator. METHODS A retrospective review was performed of patients presenting with fixed or impaired vocal cord function at a tertiary center. Local recurrence rates were examined in patients with and without improved/normal mobilization after treatment. RESULTS Sixty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria, with 35 patients having vocal cord fixation and 34 patients with impaired mobility. After treatment, 44 patients had normalization of vocal cord function, while 25 patients did not, with 2-year local control rates of 70% and 77%, p = .23, respectively. No difference in local control was found between patients with normalized/improved cord function (n = 53) and those who remained the same/worsened (n = 16; p = .81). CONCLUSION Therapy-induced changes in vocal cord mobility did not correlate with local recurrence. Other criteria are needed to identify patients most likely to benefit from early surgical resection/salvage after organ preservation.