Treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy together gives the best outlook for those with laryngeal cancer.

The traditional treatment for laryngeal cancer (cancer of the voice box) is chemotherapy and then radiotherapy. But still, having gone through all this, many patients have to have the larynx removed because the cancer comes back. Is there a better way?

Researchers at the University of Texas have followed up a group of 517 people with laryngeal cancer and compared their treatments. The number of necessary surgeries in those having chemotherapy and radiotherapy together was 21. But twice as many needed surgery if they had chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy, or radiotherapy alone. It may be that chemotherapy sensitizes the tumor to the killing effects of radiotherapy. If the patient can take the treatment, then they are more likely to save their voice if they can have chemotherapy and radiotherapy together. The study also suggests that chemotherapy before radiotherapy offers little advantage.

Source

American Society of Clinical Oncology Meeting 2nd June 2003