Clinical study of larynx-preserving partial pharyngectomy for hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

We report a retrospective study of 15 patients who underwent larynx-preserving partial pharyngectomy for hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma at our institution from April 2007 to March 2011. All patients were male. Fourteen patients underwent primary suture operation, and one patient underwent partial pharyngo-laryngectomy using reconstruction with a radial forearm flap. Neck dissection was performed in ten patients, and tracheotomy was performed in all patients. The 3-year disease-specific survival rate was 90.9%. Tumor recurrence occurred in five patients, local recurrence in four patients and neck recurrence in one patient. One patient died of lung metastasis followed by local recurrence. The laryngeal function was kept in 73% of cases. Larynx-preserving surgery for hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma gives satisfactory results in terms of survival rate.