The impact of previous tracheostomy in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx submitted to concurrent chemotherapy and radiation

6004 Background: The combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is a standard treatment for locally advanced larynx cancer. Patients presenting with previous tracheostomy due to aiway obstruction have a worse clinical outcome when submitted to a total laryngectomy or radiotherapy; the impact of previous tracheostomy is not clear in patients submitted to chemotherapy combined with radiation. Methods: A single-institutional study, patients with stage III and IV laryngeal carcinoma were prospectively selected from 2000 to 2003. Treatment consisted of Cisplatin 100 mg/m2 every three weeks for 3 cycles concurrent with radiotherapy to a total dose of 70.2 Gy. Prognostic factors like stage, age, performance status, chemotherapy completion, treatment response and previous tracheostomy were correlated on univariate and multivariate analysis with treatment response, progression-free and overall survival. Results: Forty-nine patients were selected, previous tracheostomy was performed in 12 (24,5%) before chemo/rad...