Research on the efficacy of laryngendoscopic low-temperature plasma ablation on early glottic cancer.

PURPOSE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of self-retaining laryngendoscope-assisted low-temperature plasma ablation (LTPA) in the treatment of patients with early glottic cancer. METHODS The clinical data of 84 patients with early glottic cancer treated in our department from May 2013 to May 2016 were collected. All patients were divided into the Plasma group (n=42, treated with the laryngendoscopic LTPA) and the Laryngofissure group (n=42, treated with traditional laryngofissure). The operation conditions, pain and cough visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, postoperative complications, mucosal recovery and voice recovery indexes were compared between the two groups, the postoperative recurrence rate was recorded, and the patients were followed up for tumor recurrence and survival. RESULTS In the Plasma group, the operation time was significantly shorter than that in the Laryngofissure group, the amount of intraoperative bleeding was significantly less than that in the Laryngofissure group (p<0.001), and the postoperative hospitalization time was also significantly shorter than that in the Laryngofissure group. The postoperative pain and cough VAS scores in the Plasma group were obviously lower than those in the Laryngofissure group. The proportion of smooth vocal mucosa after operation in the Plasma group was evidently higher than that in the Laryngofissure group. In Plasma group, the voice parameters Jitter, Shimmer and harmonic to noise ratio (HNR) were all remarkably superior to those in the Laryngofissure group. The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) had no statistically significant differences between the two groups according to the log-rank test. CONCLUSIONS Self-retaining laryngendoscope-assisted LTPA has definite efficacy in the treatment of early glottic cancer, after which the recurrence rate and survival rate are similar to those after open laryngofissure, but LTPA is characterized by short operation time, less postoperative bleeding, quick recovery of patients and better voice recovery.