Pretherapeutic staging of recurrent laryngeal carcinoma: clinical findings and imaging studies compared with histopathology.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of preoperative imaging studies and clinical and endoscopic examinations for recurrent laryngeal carcinoma evaluation.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective comparative study was performed at a university department on 42 recurrent laryngeal carcinomas. Surgical specimens were cut into whole-organ slices. Histologic findings were compared with the findings of the different preoperative diagnostic modalities.

RESULTS: The craniocaudal tumor spread was correctly evaluated by endoscopy and imaging studies in 52% and 24%, respectively, and the contralateral tumor spread in 50% and 52%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detection of tumor infiltration of the thyroid was 48%, 88%, and 64% and of the cricoid 47%, 80%, and 67%. The accuracy of recurrent tumor classification (crT) was 50%; most tumors were underclassified.

CONCLUSION: The inadequately evaluated tumor spread and the inadequately classified recurrent tumors were underestimated and underclassified in most cases, respectively.