Treatment of carcinoma of the hypopharynx

In a review of 80 patients with hypopharyngeal squamous-cell carcinoma, 43 patients were found to have had lesions arising in the pyriform sinus, 34 had lesions arising on the postcollateral wall of the hypopharynx, and 3 had lesions in the postcricoid area. Therapeutic modalities included radical radiation therapy in 56 patients, radiation plus surgery in 13 patients, and planned combined therapy in 11 patients. The five-year determinate survival rate of all the patients was 20%. Patients with posterolateral wall tumors had a 23% rate of cure, but those with pyriform sinus tumors had only a 13% rate of cure. The five-year determinant survival rate was 12.5% for patients undergoing radical radiation therapy, 15.4% for those undergoing unplanned radiation and surgery (salvage therapy), and 55.6% for those with planned combined therapy. Over 40% of the patients had a recurrence of their disease; an additional 20% developed distant metastatic spread which usually occurred within the first year. The type of therapy did not alter the rate of recurrence but did affect the rate of distant metastatic spread, with planned combined therapy greatly improving control of the primary lesion. This study suggests that, even with advanced disease, the most effective therapy for hypopharyngeal carcinoma is planned combined radiation therapy and surgery.