Survival analysis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in a Chilean retrospective cohort at the Carlos Van Buren Hospital of Valparaíso

Abstract

Introduction: Laryngeal carcinoma is one of the most frequent head and neck neoplasms, being associated with ageing and lifestyles. In Chile, survival analyses of laryngeal carci­noma are scarce. Aim: To estimate and analyze the survival and clinical characteristics of laryngeal carcinoma in patients attended at the Otorhinolaryngology Department of the Carlos Van Buren Hospital, Valparaíso, Chile. Material and Method: We conducted a retrospective cohort study, including patients diagnosed with laryngeal squamous cell car­cinoma between 2007 and 2018. Kaplan-Meier estimator was applied for survival analysis. Log rank test, Student’s t-test and Fisher’s exact test were applied. Results: 211 patients were included, 90,52% were men, with an average age of 68 years. The main risk factor was smoking (80%). The most frequent tumor location was in the glottis (59,44%) and the most frequent reason for consultation was dysphonia (52,66%). Most cases (70,48%) presented at advanced stages. Laryngectomy was performed as a primary treatment in 23,92%. The 2-year overall survival rate was 86,6% for early stages and 45,2% for advanced stages; the 5-year overall survival rate was 77,4% and 33%, respectively. Conclusion: The estimated survival rate was lower than those referred by other national studies, which may be asso- ciated with the analyzed sample size, age-related factors and/or period of latency until the beginning of treatment. We emphasize the necessity of an improvement in clinical records and the health management to the timely treatment.