The treatment of early (T1) glottic and supra-glottic carcinoma: does partial laryngectomy have a place?

A series of 900 patients with laryngeal carcinoma is described. Patients with glottic T1N0 tumours were treated by radiotherapy with a 5-year survival of 92%. Seven per cent of patients suffered recurrence and most were salvaged by surgery: vertical hemilaryngectomy was occasionally useful as a salvage procedure. Patients with supra-glottic T1N0 tumours were treated for the first 7 years by supra-glottic laryngectomy and prophylactic neck dissection and thereafter by radiotherapy. The results were equally good in both series: a 5-year survival of 75-80%. Salvage surgery for failed radiotherapy or surgery for supra-glottic carcinoma gave poor results.