Age Does Not Influence Cancer Mortality After Transoral Laser Microsurgery for Glottic Cancer: A Competing-Risks Analysis of 676 Patients
Tumor biology, not age alone, determined cancer survival after throat cancer surgery, supporting treatment eligibility based on disease characteristics.
In 676 patients with laryngeal SCC treated with transoral laser microsurgery over 25 years, chronological age strongly predicted overall survival but did not independently predict cancer-specific mortality in Fine-Gray competing-risk analysis. The dominant determinants of cancer death were tumor stage and margin status, supporting treatment eligibility based on tumor biology rather than age.
What the study was
- Study design
- Retrospective cohort, competing-risks analysis (n=676, 25-year period)
- Population
- pT1-3 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with TOLMS (n=676; 2000-2025), IEO Milan
- Sample size
- 676
- Category
- Treatment Innovation
- Maturity
- Validated
- Journal
- Head & Neck
Why it surfaced
Unsolicited find from sentinel scan. Large n=676, 25-year single-center series. Methodologically rigorous competing-risk analysis. Clinically actionable finding challenging age-based treatment exclusion.
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