Background: Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck constitute a high risk group for synchronous and metachronous tumours.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of white light and autofluorescence bronchoscopy in the evaluation of pre-malignant and early neoplastic lesions in patients with laryngeal cancer, who are at high risk of concomitant lung cancer.
Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional study included 30 patients who had undergone total laryngectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. The tracheobronchial system was investigated for the presence of pre-malignant and malignant lesions, using a combination of white light and autofluorescence bronchoscopy. Biopsies were obtained from areas with a pathological appearance, and histopathological studies were performed.
Results: All patients had a permanent tracheostomy. Light and autofluorescence bronchoscopy indicated that the tracheobronchial system was normal in 11 patients. A total of 27 biopsies was taken from the remaining 19 patients, and revealed invasive squamous cell carcinoma in one patient and pre-malignant changes in six.
Conclusion: Bronchoscopy is a valuable and practical tool for screening patients at high risk of lung cancer, and requires minimal intervention especially in patients with a permanent tracheostomy. Of the various bronchoscopic techniques becoming available, autofluorescence bronchoscopy shows promise for the detection of pre-invasive malignant changes of the tracheobronchial system in patients previously operated upon for laryngeal cancer.