Comparison of oncological and functional outcomes of surgery and radiotherapy in T1a glottic laryngeal cancer

Laryngeal cancer has many psychosocial effects on patients. Speech, breathing and swallowing difficulties are just a few of these effects. The treatment of this early stage laryngeal cancer primarily aims to effectively treat the tumor while preserving voice quality and quality of life. Treatment options for T1a glottic laryngeal carcinoma include endoscopic cordectomy, laryngofissure cordectomy, and radiotherapy. The oncological results of the treatment of T1a glottic cancers are very good regardless of the treatment method chosen. In this study, we compared the oncological, voice quality and quality of life results of patients with T1a glottic cancer after surgery and radiotherapy. For oncological results, 35 patients in the surgery group and 55 patients in the radiotherapy group; for acoustic analysis, 22 patients in the surgery group and 25 patients in the radiotherapy group; For quality of life, 25 patients in the surgery group and 26 patients in the radiotherapy group were included in our study. Acoustic analysis and quality of life assessments were performed at least 3 months after endoscopic cordectomy, at least 13 months after radiotherapy, and at least 18 months after laryngofissure cordectomy. Although the acoustic analysis results of the surgical group were worse than radiotherapy, overall favourable voice and quality of life results were obtained. Although the local control rate was better in the surgical group in oncological outcomes, no difference was found in disease-specific survival. In conclusion, in terms of oncological and functional results, surgery and radiotherapy can be used in the treatment of patients with T1a glottic cancer. The choice of treatment may vary according to the preference of the surgeon and the patient, the general health problems of the patient, and the availability of appropriate equipment. Key words: Laryngeal neoplasms; vocal cords, surgery; survival analysis; voice quality; quality of life.