最近の放射線療法の立場からみた喉頭癌の治療方針

　およそ癌の治療にあたつてその早期診斷の重要性はいうまでもないが，特に喉頭癌の個々の症例については，その治療方針の決定如何が―生命の保持と發聲機能を併せ考えた場合に―患者の運命を大きく左右する因子となつてくる。從つて喉頭癌の治療を專門とするもののみでなく，すべての喉頭科醫は，喉頭における腫瘍の進展の樣相を適確に把握し，如何なる症例に對して如何なる治療法が最も適切であるかを正確に判斷することが絶對に必要である。この意味において，以下我々の治療方針を論ずるまえに，現今ひろく行われている治療法を概説し，これに検討を加えてみたい。

　TSUKAMOTO discusses points on recent therapy of laryngeal cancers covering both surgical and irradiation with report on the results of treatment of 209 cases mainly by means of radium. Not all cases are adaptable to irradiation therapy. But, in sofar as the tumor is not too deeply involved with the underlying tissues and so situated that implantation of radium may be performed with relative ease, from the standpoint of preservation of voice, later irradiation therapy appeared to be by far the better than that of the surgical. The author concludes that, instead of condemning all cases of laryngeal malignancy to surgical extirpation with its inevitable result the loss of phonation in a belief that it is the only means by which to save the life. due considerations should be given the facts that certain types of laryngeal cancers are amenable to irradiation therapy.