The role of chemotherapy in the management of advanced laryngeal cancer.

: At the time of diagnosis about half the patients with laryngeal cancer have locally advanced disease. In our series of 720 larynx carcinoma patients, treated in the department of radiotherapy at the University hospital in Ghent, in a period between 1975 and 1991, 45.2% of the patients had stage III or IV disease. The excellent results from locoregional treatment of limited disease are given elsewhere in this issue (De Schryver). Results for treatment of stage III and IV disease remain however poor. Locoregional failure rates of 50% and overall survival rates of 30% after 5 years indicate the need for better initial local and systemic control in advanced stage disease.