Abstract

Objective: To identify the factors associated with pulmonary metastasis, such as lymph node positivity, tumour location and histological differentiation in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (scc).
Material and Methods: This study is designed as retrospective cohort study. Data from 263 patients diagnosed with laryngeal scc were reviewed retrospectively. Pulmonary metastasis was observed in 39 of these patients.
Results: The transglottic tumors had the highest pulmonary metastasis rate (%50). The pulmonary metastasis rate was significantly lower in patients with glottic tumors than those with tumors in other regions (p= 0.003) The pulmonary metastasis rate was higher in lymph node-positive patients than in lymph node-negative patients. Pulmonary metastasis rate was significantly higher among patients with N2-N3 stage lymph nodes compared to those with N1 stage lymph nodes. Pulmonary metastasis rate is also increased significantly among patients with histologically poorly differentiated tumors (p= 0.001).
Conclusion: The laryngeal cancer patients with positive lymph node, with transglottic tumour and with poorly/moderately differentiated tumour should be monitored carefully and followed up closely for possible pulmonary metastasis.

Key words: Larynx carcinoma, lymph node, pulmonary metastasis