Panendoscopy during follow-up in laryngeal carcinoma patients after radiotherapy.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Early detection of a recurrent disease remains essential during follow-up to improve outcome and reduce morbidity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of panendoscopy after radiotherapy for recurrent laryngeal carcinoma. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, 623 patients were included. Clinical and radiological examinations were compared to pathohistological results of panendoscopy and clinical outcome. RESULTS: In the first 6 months after therapy, a negative histopathological result was significantly higher in patients after radiotherapy (n = 394) compared to patients after surgery (n = 195) alone (odds ratio [OR] 0.4424, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2081-0.969, P = .05). After radiotherapy, a suspicious radiological result was not significantly linked to recurrence (OR 1.461, 95% CI 0.7126-3.021, P = .37). Clinical investigation was the best predictive parameter for detecting recurrent disease after radiation therapy (OR 4.061, 95% CI 2.268-7.113, P = <.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that in the first 6 months after radiotherapy, emphasis should be placed on clinical evaluation during follow-up.