Organ preservation surgery in locally advanced glottic cancer: a case report

Introduction: Laryngeal cancer tends to affects men over 40 years of age who have associated risk factors such as long-term smoking and alcohol consumption. About 2/3 of the lesions appear in the true vocal fold, which configures glottic cancer. Based on the TNM classification, the treatment of glottic cancer in the last decades has been defined with the objective of preserving a larynx and improving the quality of life without affecting the rates of survival, always considering the clinical and radiological data of each patient in order to achieve the best chance of cure and preservation of organ function. Methodology: This report was based on that analysis of medical records, diagnostic methods used and literature review. Case description: Male, 57 years old, complaining of dysphonia and coughing for 5 months, with smoking and alcohol use data. Videolaryngoscopy showed an ulcerative and infiltrating lesion in the left vocal fold with paralysis of the this fold, which was submitted to a biopsy that showed moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Staging was performed with imaging tests and clinical evaluation showed T3 glottic cancer. In view of the lateral predominance of the lesion, the recommendation of total laryngectomy was replaced by preservative surgery (partial fron tolateralhemilaringectomy) with therapeutic success and maintenance of laryngeal functionality for 2 years without recurrence of the tumor. Conclusion: The individualized treatment of laryngeal cancer is extremely important because the selection of specific cases of locally advanced tumors for the use of preservative techniques allows for the conservation of the organ with its functionality intact and maintains it free from disease.