Does thyroid-sparing total laryngectomy decrease the risk of hypothyroidism?

Background: Thyroid lobectomy is recommended with total laryngectomy for laryngeal cancer in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network ('NCCN') guidelines. However, it is associated with a 32-89 per cent risk of hypothyroidism, with or without adjuvant radiotherapy.

Objective: The study aimed to determine whether preserving the whole thyroid, compared to a single lobe, does indeed significantly lower the incidence of hypothyroidism in the setting of total laryngectomy.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

Results: Eighty-four patients met the inclusion criteria. The overall incidence of hypothyroidism was 45.2 per cent. The incidence of hypothyroidism was significantly reduced in patients who underwent thyroid-sparing total laryngectomy compared to hemithyroidectomy (p = 0.037). Adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with a higher incidence of hypothyroidism (p = 0.001).

Conclusions: Thyroid-preserving laryngectomy should be advocated in carefully selected patients with advanced laryngeal carcinoma, as it reduces the incidence of hypothyroidism.