R406 – Treatment of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Hypopharynx
Problem Squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx has been diagnosed at a late stage, including in developed countries, thus denoting worse prognosis. An association between surgery and radiotherapy is the standard treatment for advanced clinical stages. Our aim was to assess the clinical and treatment factors of tumors of the hypopharynx that were treated surgically and with postoperative radiotherapy. Methods This was a retrospective study on 174 patients, among whom two patients were in clinical stage (CS) I, four in CS II, 46 in CS III, and 122 in CS IV. Among these, 222 neck dissections were performed, of which 48 were bilateral. Statistic analysis: Kaplan-Meier methods. Results The mean follow-up was 31 months, and histological examinations showed that two patients were pT1, 15 pT2, 100 pT3 and 57 pT4. With regard to lymph nodes, 25 patients were pN0 and 149 patients were pN+. The disease-free survival in CS III was 75%, versus 28% in CS IV (p=0.001). The disease-free survival was 35% and the overall survival was 28%. Conclusion Surgical treatment for tumors of the hypopharynx occurred in advanced CS, with disease-free survival of 35%. Significance The overall survival and disease free-survival among patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx undergoing surgery.