Abstract
Superficial laryngo-pharyngeal cancer (SLPC) is defined as that stage of the cancer in which "cancer cells are confined to the subepithelial layer, without invasion of the muscularis propria, with or without lymph node metastasis." With the advances in endoscopic technologies and observation methods, numerous cases of SLPC have been reported in recent years. Less invasive oral resection methods, enabling organ preservation, have also been developed for the treatment of SLPC. However, it should be noted that the diagnosis of SLPC is based on the tumor thickness, which cannot be addressed by the TNM classification. Furthermore, although SLPC is generally associated with a good prognosis, a certain proportion of patients develop lymph node metastasis and/or multiple metachronous cancers, both of which may be expected to have an adverse impact on the prognosis. In addition, sufficient evidence has not accumulated for optimal post-treatment surveillance and factors affecting the risk of lymph node metastasis, and further investigation is required. In this review, we describe the epidemiology, general characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of SLPC.