Differences in survival outcome between stage I and stage II glottic cancer: A SEER‐based analysis

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the cause-specific survival (CSS) of stage I (tumor T1 node N0 metastasis M0) versus stage II (T2N0M0) glottic cancer in a large population cohort. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 database from 1973 to 2009, comprising patients diagnosed with T1N0M0 or T2N0M0 squamous cell glottic cancer. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, and competing-risks survival regression were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: There were 4,422 patients who met all inclusion criteria. The 36-month CSS was 93.9% for stage I verus 86.5% for stage II, with P < 0.0001. Stage II status conferred a 2.494 hazard ratio for increased risk of cause-specific death compared to stage I. CONCLUSIONS: Stage II glottic cancers have a significantly worse prognosis and may need a different approach to management than stage I tumors. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.