Salvage laryngectomy and pharyngocutaneous fistulae after primary radiotherapy for head and neck cancer: A national survey from DAHANCA

Abstract

The risk of fistulae is especially high in patients initially treated with radiotherapy for nonglottic advanced stage tumors. A significant decrease in the number of performed salvage laryngectomies over the 10 years was seen. Over the same time period, the annual number of fistulae remained almost constant. The resulting more than doubling of fistulae rate could thus in part be explained by less surgical routine.