Radical radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy for hypopharyngeal carcinoma

We took a routine conservative approach for hypopharyngeal carcinoma. This retrospective study analyzes the outcome of treatment with this policy. Between 1993 and 2002, 36 patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma received radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy at our institution. Doses ranged from 60 Gy to 72 Gy given to the involved fields. Fourteen patients received CDDP and 5FU, either inductive or concurrent with radiotherapy. The overall five-year survival was 38% and the two-year local control rate was 69%. The local control rate was dependent on the size of primary tumor. Two-year local control rates were 60% with radiotherapy alone and 88% with chemoradiotherapy. Neck dissections combined with radiotherapy were all successful for 12 patients with N1-2. In 14 patients with N0, 3 patients were salvaged successfully after nodal recurrence. Ultimate conservation rate of laryngo-pharynx was 67%. This non-surgical therapy provided survival comparable with that achieved with the standard approach of surgery and postoperative radiotherapy.