Abstract
We retrospectively analyzed the treatment outcomes of post-operative radiation therapy (PORT) after radical surgery for locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma. From August 2000 to July 2009, 62 patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma were treated with radical surgery followed by PORT in our institute. All patients were followed up for more than 6 months or until any events. All patients underwent a total laryngectomy and neck node dissection prior to PORT. There were 55 male and 7 female patients, with ages ranging from 45 to 82 years (median: 64). Pathologic stage was IVA in 55 and IVB in 7 patients. Irradiation dose ranged from 46 to 70 Gy (median: 60). Twenty-four patients received concurrent chemotherapy. The median follow-up period for surviving patients was 43 months. The 3-year overall and relapse-free survival rates were 56% and 51%, respectively. There was 1 patient with local recurrence and 9 patients with neck node recurrence, and the 3-year loco-regional control rate was 85%. There were 16 patients with distant metastases and the 3-year freedom form distant metastasis rate was 71%. Patients with extra nodal invasion (ENI) had a statistically poorer prognosis (p = 0.008). The incidence rate of loco-regional recurrence and distant metastasis were statistically higher in the patients with ENI (p = 0.017 and p = 0.009, respectively). PORT with concurrent chemotherapy is deemed to be a standard treatment for such high-risk patients. Conformal and precise radiation treatment such as IMRT might also be considered for such high-risk patients in the near future.
