Advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma treatment results according to treatment modalities

The purpose of this retrospective study is to compare the treatment results of locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma according to treatment modalities.

Seventy-three patients with locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma treated at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, between August 1979 and July 1997 were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty-three patients were treated with radiotherapy (RT) alone, 18 patients were treated with surgery and postoperative RT, and 32 patients were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CTx) and RT. Median follow-up period was 28 months.

The overall 5-year survival rates were 15.7% for the RT alone group, 46.8% for surgery and postoperative RT group, and 43.0% for neoadjuvant CTx and RT group. The 5-year disease-free survival rates were 13.9%, 47.4%, and 30.7%, respectively. Surgery and postoperative RT or neoadjuvant CTx and RT showed superiority over RT alone in terms of both overall survival and disease-free survival rates. No significant differences were found in overall and disease-free survival rates between the surgery and postoperative RT group and neoadjuvant CTx and RT group (p =.15, p =.13). In the neoadjuvant CTx and RT group, 12 patients (38%) retained their larynx more than 5 years.

Neoadjuvant CTx and RT is an effective strategy to achieve organ preservation without compromising the survival of patients with locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma.