ORGAN PRESERVATION IN THE TREATMENT OF HYPOPHRYNGEAL CARCINOMA

FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF RADIOTHERAPY

Abstract

One aim of radiotherapy for hypopharyngeal cancer is to expand the indication for radical radiotherapy, and to verify the role of preoperative treatment for laryngeal preservation. Through several articles on clinical results of radiotherapy for hypopharyngeal cancer, a consensus was obtained that T1-T2 hypopharyngeal cancer could be controlled with radical radiotherapy. Based on the good results of T1-T2, patients with T1-T2 primary tumor and neck nodal metastasis are treated with neck dissection and following radiotherapy.
Because results of preoperative radiotherapy were much worse than postoperative radiotherapy, the latter is preferred for the combined therapy. To avoid surgery and preserve organ functions, preoperative chemoradiotherapy and induction chemotherapy were tried, and they achieved substantial clinical results.