Treatment modality and outcomes in larynx cancer patients: A sex-based evaluation

Background: To evaluate the differences in treatment modality and outcomes between male and female patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the United States. Methods: Data were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database for patients with laryngeal SCC (2004-2013). Overall survival (OS), disease specific survival (DSS), and multivariate analyses were conducted. Results: Among women, supraglottic cancers were the most prevalent (61.2%); whereas the majority of men developed glottic cancers (64.2%; P <.001). Women with T4 disease were more likely to undergo primary radiation (56.8% vs 45.3%; P <.001) and less likely to undergo open surgery were than men (37.1% vs 48.2%; P <.001). Women had significantly better OS in glottic and supraglottic cancers, and comparable survival in subglottic cancer. Sex remained an independent prognostic factor for both DSS and OS. Conclusion: Sex is an independent prognostic factor for DSS and OS in patients with laryngeal SCC.