Objectives: The purpose of this study is to present the treatment results and to identify possible prognostic indicators in patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPC).
Study design: A consecutively admitted series of 110 patients was analyzed retrospectively. The female male ratio was 29: 81. The sites of the tumors were: pyriform fossa (72%), postcricoid area (18%), and posterior pharyngeal wall (10%). T-status was T1: 15%, T2: 26%, T3: 28%, and T4: 37%. N-status was N0: 27%, N1: 33%, N2: 26%, and N3: 14%.
Methods: One hundred three patients (94%) were treated with curative intent. Two of these received primary surgery; the remaining 101 patients had primary radiotherapy. Seven patients (6%) received no or only palliative treatment.
Results: The 5- and 10-year estimates for crude survival (CS) were 16% and 7% and disease-specific survival (DSS) 28% and 23%, respectively. In the group of patients treated with curatively intended radiotherapy, 71 recurrences were observed at the time of analysis. The 5- and 10-year RFS estimates were both 17%. The values for CS were 18% and 8% and the values for DSS were 31% and 26%, respectively. Univariate survival analyses of age, sex, T-status, N-status, and TNM staging did not show any significant influence on survival.
Conclusions: We conclude that the survival of patients with HPC treated with primary radiotherapy and salvage surgery is poor and that other treatment modalities have to be considered.