Should we reconsider induction chemotherapy in advanced stage laryngeal cancer?
Reviewed by Shabbir Akhtar

Use of chemo-radiotherapy for advanced laryngeal cancer led to a major shift in treatment as an alternative to total laryngectomy. Despite widespread adoption of chemoradiotherapy, survival rates have not improved and the original premise of matching neoadjuvant chemotherapy tumour response to determine subsequent treatment has not been followed. In this study authors determine whether improved survival could be achieved by incorporating a single cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy to select patients with advanced disease for either laryngectomy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Superior survival rates were achieved with a bioselective treatment approach using a single cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Good survival rates were also achieved in patients selected for primary surgery, and both neoadjuvant chemotherapy and primary surgery were better than survival rates with concurrent chemoradiotherapy, suggesting that the optimal individualised treatment approach for patients with advanced laryngeal cancer has not yet been defined.

Survival rates using individualized bioselection treatment methods in patients with advanced laryngeal cancer.
Wolf GT, Bellile E, Eisbruch A, et al.
JAMA OTOLARYNGOLOGY, HEAD AND NECK SURGERY
2017;143(4):355-66.