[Borderline cases between the laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers]

Between July, 1978 and December, 1981, we treated 215 patients with laryngeal cancer and 57 patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. The former exhibited good, latter poor, prognoses. Ten patients required a differential diagnosis between supraglottic lesion and pyriform sinus lesion. The initial symptoms, habits of smoking and drinking, sputum cytology, laryngo-tomography and contrast laryngograms which may contribute important information such as failure of the pyriform sinuses to fill, aid in establishing the site of origin of the primary tumor preoperatively. Tumors originating in the pyriform sinus should be operated, paying attention to the mesopharyngeal margin and multicentric carcinogenesis. We also discuss preoperative irradiation, neck dissection and chemotherapy.