Cartilaginous tumors of the larynx: clinicopathologic review of 47 cases.

We reviewed the clinical and pathologic features of 47 laryngeal cartilaginous tumors treated at the Mayo Clinic. This represents the largest reported series of these tumors. The patient group consisted of 36 men (77%) and 11 women (mean age, 63 years; range, 44 to 91 years). The tumors included 44 chondrosarcomas, all low-grade, and 3 chondromas. The overall 5-year survival was 90.1%, which did not differ significantly from the expected survival. Laryngectomy was performed as primary treatment for chondrosarcoma in 6 patients. Of the patients with chondrosarcoma, 40% had tumor recurrence or symptomatic tumor progression at an average of 4.5 years after diagnosis. Only 15 of the patients with chondrosarcoma (34%) required total laryngectomy. There were no metastases, and 4 patients died of local disease (all received treatment before 1960). At latest follow-up, 34 patients with chondrosarcoma (77%) were alive without disease or had died of other causes. We conclude that laryngeal chondrosarcoma can be treated with conservative surgery in most cases, both initially and for recurrent disease.