15-Year review of laryngeal and oral dysplasias and progression to invasive carcinoma

The objective of this study is to identify a management or follow-up strategy for patients with laryngeal and oral dysplasia. A chart review of all patients with laryngeal and oral dysplasia over a 15-year period was performed. All patients were followed for a minimum period of 5 years from initial diagnosis of oropharyngeal or laryngeal dysplasia. If invasive carcinoma was demonstrated on subsequent biopsies, the exact time of this was recorded and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted. In the laryngeal cohort, 45 patients were identified, 15 (33%) developed carcinoma, 7 of 30 patients (23%) with mild or moderate dysplasia, compared with 8 of 15 (53%) with severe dysplasia or CIS (P = 0.01). Thirteen of the carcinomas (87%) developed within 36 months of original biopsy. In the oral cohort, 32 patients were identified, 17 (53%) developed carcinoma, 1 of 9 patients (11%) with mild dysplasia, compared with 8 of 12 (67%) with severe dysplasia and 8 of 10 (80%) with CIS (P < 0.001). Fifteen of the 17 patients (88%) developed carcinoma within 36 months of original biopsy. In conclusion, although numbers are small, our results show that mild and moderate laryngeal dysplasia behaves differently to severe dysplasia and CIS. Mild oral dysplasia also behaves differently to severe dysplasia or CIS. In general, progress to malignancy happens within a 3-year period. Severe dysplasia or CIS should be managed aggressively.