Fifteenth Daniel C. Baker, Jr, memorial lecture. What have whole organ sections contributed to the treatment of laryngeal cancer?

The study of whole organ sections of laryngectomy specimens has demonstrated the patterns by which cancer spreads from one part of the larynx and hypopharynx to another. These studies have also demonstrated the fibroelastic membranes and ligaments that form the boundaries of intralaryngeal compartments within which cancer is confined in its early stages. They thus have added support to the concept of partial laryngectomy for selected lesions and have illustrated the features of those types of laryngeal cancer that have not responded well to radiotherapy. Whole organ sections of laryngectomy specimens have allowed a more accurate interpretation of preoperative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging and have provided a reliable basis for clinical staging.