Originally published as JCO Early Release 10.1200/JCO.2006.07.4559 on July 10 2006

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American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline for the Use of Larynx-Preservation Strategies in the Treatment of Laryngeal Cancer

David G. Pfister, Scott A. Laurie, Gregory S. Weinstein, William M. Mendenhall, David J. Adelstein, K. Kian Ang, Gary L. Clayman, Susan G. Fisher, Arlene A. Forastiere, Louis B. Harrison, Jean-Louis Lefebvre, Nancy Leupold, Marcy A. List, Bernard O. O'Malley, Snehal Patel, Marshall R. Posner, Michael A. Schwartz, Gregory T. Wolf

From the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA

Address reprint requests to American Society of Clinical Oncology, Cancer Policy and Clinical Affairs, 1900 Duke Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314; e-mail: guidelines{at}asco.org

PURPOSE: To develop a clinical practice guideline for treatment of laryngeal cancer with the intent of preserving the larynx (either the organ itself or its function). This guideline is intended for use by oncologists in the care of patients outside of clinical trials.

METHODS: A multidisciplinary Expert Panel determined the clinical management questions to be addressed and reviewed the literature available through November 2005, with emphasis given to randomized controlled trials of site-specific disease. Survival, rate of larynx preservation, and toxicities were the principal outcomes assessed. The guideline underwent internal review and approval by the Panel, as well as external review by additional experts, members of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Health Services Committee, and the ASCO Board of Directors.

RESULTS: Evidence supports the use of larynx-preservation approaches for appropriately selected patients without a compromise in survival; however, no larynx-preservation approach offers a survival advantage compared with total laryngectomy and adjuvant therapy with rehabilitation as indicated.

RECOMMENDATIONS: All patients with T1 or T2 laryngeal cancer, with rare exception, should be treated initially with intent to preserve the larynx. For most patients with T3 or T4 disease without tumor invasion through cartilage into soft tissues, a larynx-preservation approach is an appropriate, standard treatment option, and concurrent chemoradiotherapy therapy is the most widely applicable approach. To ensure an optimum outcome, special expertise and a multidisciplinary team are necessary, and the team should fully discuss with the patient the advantages and disadvantages of larynx-preservation options compared with treatments that include total laryngectomy.

The unabridged version of this article can be found at www.asco.org/guidelines/larynx/unabridged

Adopted on February 28, 2006, by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Authors' disclosures of potential conflicts of interest and author contributions are found at the end of this article.

Related Correspondence

• Recommended Organ Preservation Strategy for T2 Unfavorable Glottis Cancer
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  JCO 2007 25: 735-736 [Full Text]

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