Background: Laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC) accounts for around one-third of head and neck cancers, with smoking and alcohol as major risk factors. Despite advances in organ preservation, survival rates have stagnated globally over recent decades. The impact of socioeconomic deprivation on LSCC outcomes in the West of Scotland remains underexplored. We hypothesized that survival outcomes in the West of Scotland are poorer than cohorts from other developed nations.
Aim: To evaluate characteristics and survival outcomes for LSCC patients in the West of Scotland and identify predictors of survival.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 867 LSCC patients in the West of Scotland (2014-2020) analyzed demographics, tumor staging, performance status, treatments, and socioeconomic status (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, SIMD). Subgroup differences were assessed using chi-squared tests. Survival analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazards modeling.
Results: The cohort had a male-to-female ratio of 3.2:1, with a mean age of 65.5 years, with 56% presenting with advanced disease. Most patients (70.7%) lived in the most deprived areas. Supraglottic cancers were the most common subsite (51%). Five-year overall survival (OS) was 46%, with a median OS of 52 months. Glottic cancers had better outcomes (64% OS) compared to supraglottic cancers (36%). Predictors of survival included age, subsite, performance status, alcohol use, treatment modality, and deprivation.
Conclusion: LSCC survival in the West of Scotland is lower than in other European nations, influenced by advanced-stage presentation, deprivation, and frailty. Addressing these factors is vital to improving outcomes.
Level of evidence: III Laryngoscope, 2025.
Keywords: cancer‐specific survival; laryngeal squamous cell cancer; overall survival.
© 2025 The Author(s). The Laryngoscope published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.