Place de la radiothérapie dans le traitement des tumeurs étendues du larynx sus glottique

The clinical recovery obtained with conventional and high energy radiotherapy on advanced cancer of the larynx has been evaluated in 108 patients treated from 1955 to the end of 1970. The lesions were of stages T3 and T4, and in 35% of the cases were accompanied by cervical adenopathy. Fifty two patients were treated by conventional radiotherapy at 200 kV, 6000 to 6500 rads being applied in 2 opposed fields, as well as prophylactic irradiation of the supraclavicular regions. Of the 56 patients treated by high energy radiation, 50 were subjected to telecobalt, 6 to Betatron radiation. Similar rates of survival without relapse 3 yr after treatment were observed in both groups: 42.3% in patients treated by 200 kV, and 42.9% in patients treated by high energy radiation. While the use of high energy radiotherapy does not seem to improve survival, it does, nevertheless, avoid producing cutaneous lesions normally seen in treatment at a low energy. In 40 of the 108 patients (37%), laryngeal or ganglionary relapse was observed, the incidence being greater in patients having received conventional radiotherapy. Followup surgery was performed on 22 patients, 10 of whom have survived for 3 yr without any sign of subsequent evolution. If those patients cured by followup surgery and those deceased by intercurrent disease, in the absence of evolution of the cancer, are included in the statistics, the 3 yr survival rate changes from 42.5% to 56.5%.SCOPUS: NotDefined.j