Abstract
Thirteen patients received a partial pharyngectomy for hypopharyngeal carcinoma. T classification of the patients was T1, 3 cases ; T2, 8 cases ; and T3, 2 cases). As such, the majority of the primary lesions were early and small. However, N classification of the patients involved the advanced state with N2, 4 cases, and N3, 1 case. The majority of the patients received a hemi-lateral neck dissection, a partial pharyngectomy, and a free jejunum transfer. Nine patients underwent adjuvant radiation therapy. The median of duration for de-canulation and removal of the nasogastric tube was almost 30 days. The difference of postoperative function by primary tumor, surgery, and adjuvant radiation was unclear. There were four patients with local recurrence. Six of seven disease-free patients had a functional larynx. Three of six patients who died had a functional larynx until death. The indication for partial pharyngectomy is mainly T1 and T2 hypopharyngeal carcinoma, even in N advanced cases. Our next object is reduction of local recurrence and increasing the ratios of survival and laryngeal preservation.
