1. Epidemiology and Treatment of the Hypopharyngeal Cancer

Abstract

Our epidemiologic studies showed about two hundred mortality and three hundred incidence of the hypopharyngeal cancer in a year in Japan from 1978 to 1980. The age adjusted incidence rate was 0.4 for male and 0.1 for female. Male-to-female ratio was 2.5. The median age was into the seventh decade in both male and female.
The standardized morbidity rate of male demonstrated the remarkable difference in some prefectures. The development of the hypopharyngeal cancer, especially piriform sinus cancer, may be influenced by the excessive smoking and drinking liquors. Radiation treated in the past may also induce hypopharyngeal cancer. Also the development of postcricoid cancer may be related to the web formation in female.
Our 147 cases of the hypopharyngeal cancer resulted in 32.5 percent five-year survival rate, showing superiority of preoperative irradiation in advanced cases.
The prognosis of the hypopharyngeal cancer becomes poor, mainly because the patients visit us so late with advanced disease. For earlier diagnosis, screening of the high risk group complaining of throat discomfort should be done as a routine. Sputum cytology was also useful for the detection.