Patterns of laryngeal cancer presentation of Iraqi patients

Abstract

Background: Laryngeal cancer is the most common head and neck tumor; it forms about forth to third of head and neck tumors and forms 2% of total body cancers. It arises from larynx. Most laryngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. Most laryngeal cancers originate in the glottis. Supraglottic cancers are less common, and subglottic tumors are least frequent. This study was conducted to estimate the presentation of Iraqi patients with laryngeal carcinoma. Methods: This study is a prospective study was included forty patients already diagnosed with laryngeal carcinoma who attended the hospital of radiation oncology and nuclear medicine, head and neck unit from January - June 2016. Included 31 men and 9 women, with age 41 to 84 years old. All patients had histopathological and CT scan of head, neck with chest X-ray. Results: most of patients (42.5%) in the age group 60-70 years; 3:1 the male to female ratio, (77.5%) of patients being men and (22.5%) being women. Most important risk factor for developing laryngeal carcinoma is smocking around 95% of patients, and the risk increase in relation to number of cigarette smoked which is 50% when cigarette smoked more than 40 cigarette per day, and have strong relationship to duration of smoking 37.5% in 20-30 years of smoking. Further, hoarseness of voice is the main chief compliant 65%, with most common duration of symptoms 27.5% in 2-3 months duration. In this study 52.5% positive cervical LAP at time of presentation with most common 80% bilateral cervical LAP and most common levels of cervical LAP are II (27.5%) and III(37.5%). Further; 70% of patients in stage III and 30% in stage IV, and 77.5% of patients in grade I and II of disease, being 35% and 42.5%, respectively. (100%) of patients have carcinoma squamous cell type (most common type) of laryngeal carcinoma. Conclusion: Cancer of larynx might be strongly associated with number and duration of cigarette smoking, especially if associated with alcohol drinking, other risk factors are potentially less important. XI is the most histologic kind of squamous cell carcinoma while others are rare. Metastases to cervical lymph nodes are depended on laryngeal subsites, which are most common in supraglottic than others subsites.

Keywords: Presentation, Laryngeal Carcinoma, Risk Factors