Copenhagen, Denmark
Onsite/Online

ESTRO 2022

Session Item

Monday
May 09
11:40 - 12:40
Room D1
Highlights of Proffered Papers - Latest Clinical Trials
Anna Kirby, United Kingdom;
Ben Slotman, The Netherlands
Proffered Papers
Interdisciplinary
12:10 - 12:20
DAHANCA 27, a national prospective non-inferiority study of surgery versus RT for T1a glottic cancer
Nina Munk Lyhne, Denmark
OC-0832

Abstract

DAHANCA 27, a national prospective non-inferiority study of surgery versus RT for T1a glottic cancer
Authors:

Nina Munk Lyhne1, Thomas Kjærgaard2, Christian Godballe3, Jesper Filtenborg Tvedskov4, Kirsten Hald5, Benedicte Ulhøj6, Trine Printz7, Jens Overgaard8

1Aalborg University Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Aalborg, Denmark; 2Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Århus, Denmark; 3Odense University Hospital, ORL - Head & Neck Surgery and Audiology, Odense, Denmark; 4Rigshospitalet, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Copenhagen, Denmark; 5Aalborg University Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck surgery, Aalborg, Denmark; 6Århus University Hospital, Department of Pathology, Aarhus, Denmark; 7University of Southern Denmark, Foniatric institute, Odense, Denmark; 8Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, Århus, Denmark

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Purpose or Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether treatment with transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) is non-inferior compared to accelerated radiotherapy (RT) in the treatment of T1aN0M0 glottic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).  

Material and Methods

Since 2003 the Danish national standard treatment for T1aN0M0 glottic SCC has been accelerated RT (66Gy, 2 GY/fraction, 6 fractions/week). In 2012 cordectomy type I-III using Trans Oral Laser Microsurgery (TLM) was introduced as an experimental treatment. The DAHANCA 27 trial is a comparative non-inferiority phase II study comparing two timely separated national patient cohorts. Patients treated with radical TLM in the DAHANCA 27-protocol from September 2012 to April 2016 were included in the TLM cohort, and patients treated with accelerated RT from January 2003 to august 2012 were included in the RT cohort. All patients were followed for five years or until death. All Danish patients diagnosed with a head and neck cancer are prospectively registered in the DAHANCA (Danish Head and Neck Cancer) database. Hence, all patients diagnosed with a T1aN0M0 glottic SCC are registered, allowing for the analyses of potential selection biases into the DAHANCA 27 study cohorts.

The primary endpoint was 5-year laryngectomy free survival.

Results

A total of 94 patients were included in the TLM cohort and 553 patients in the RT cohort. With an observation time of 60 month, the proportion of recurrence was 9,6 % (9 patients /94) in the TLM cohort and 7,2 % (40 patients/ 553) in the RT cohort.

The proportion of patients with ultimate failure was 2,1 % (2/94 patients) in the TLM cohort and and 3,1 % (17/553 patients) in the RT cohort. One of the two patients in the TLM cohort with non-cured recurrence initially rejected salvage treatment and became incurable. Laryngectomy was performed in 2 patients in the TLM cohort and 16 patients in the RT cohort.

In total 81 and 100 patients in the TLM and RT cohorts were eligible for voice handicap index evaluation 3 years after the primary treatment, hereof 51 and 39 completed the questionnaire in the two groups respectively. No differences in the overall VHI score or sub-scale sores were observed.

After further data analysis, the 5-year laryngectomy free survival will be reported as will the secondary endpoints local control, locoregional control, disease specific survival, and GRBAS  (grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain) voice scale.

Conclusion

Many smaller studies have shown similar tumor control rates after TLM and RT respectively, but no randomized trial have been published reporting tumor control, laryngectomy rate or survival as the primary endpoint. This study will contribute to the international evidence regarding best practice in the treatment of T1aN0M0 glottic cancer due to the large national cohorts.