Management of stage I/II hypopharyngeal cancer.

Conclusions: It is suggested that radiotherapy might be the first choice for stage I/II hypopharyngeal cancer, and that adjuvant treatment might be necessary for stage II patients to prevent distant metastasis.

Objectives: To update the therapeutic outcome of early hypopharyngeal cancer.

Methods: Twenty-eight patients with stage I/II hypopharyngeal cancer (8 in stage I, 20 in stage II) were treated at Kyoto University Hospital between 1995 and 2007. Of 8 cases in stage I, radiotherapy was applied for 4 cases, and surgical treatment for another 4, while 13 of 20 cases in stage II underwent radiotherapy and the remaining 7 cases underwent surgery.

Results: The 5-year cumulative disease-specific survival and larynx preservation rates were 74.6% and 73.2%, respectively. Recurrent tumors were found in two cases in stage I treated by surgery and in five cases in stage II treated with radiotherapy. Two of five recurrent cases in stage II were rescued by salvage surgery. Distant metastasis to the lung appeared in two cases in stage II after initial treatment.