The Role of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux as a Risk Factor in Laryngeal Cancer: A Preliminary Report

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the significance of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) as a risk factor in laryngeal cancer. METHODS: We performed a case-control study with 29 consecutive laryngeal cancer patients who had undergone 24-hour ambulatory double pH monitoring from 2003 to 2006. The control group included 300 patients who had undergone 24-hour ambulatory double pH monitoring due to LPR-related symptoms. We analyzed the prevalence of LPR and numerous parameters from the 24-hour ambulatory double pH monitoring in the laryngeal cancer patient and control groups. Pathologic LPR is defined when more than three episodes of LPR occur in 24 hours. RESULTS: The prevalence of pathologic LPR was significantly higher in the laryngeal cancer group than the control group (P=0.049). The reflux number of the upper probe was significantly higher in the laryngeal cancer group (P<0.001). However the effects of pathologic LPR on laryngeal cancer risk were diluted after adjusting for smoking and alcohol consumption in the multivariable logistic regression. CONCLUSION: The pathologic LPR might be a possible risk factor in the development of laryngeal cancer. A further study should be necessary to verify the exact role of LPR in laryngeal cancer.