Outcomes of Salvage Surgery after Concurrent Chemoradiation for Advanced Hypopharyngeal Cancer / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We evaluated treatment outcomes of patients with advanced hypopharyngeal cancer for whom surgical salvage was attempted after primary concomitant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) had failed as a treatment. The pre-salvage factors were assess-ed to predict the prognosis of salvage surgery. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A retrospective analysis was conducted from 1997 to 2006 for 22 patients with stage III-IV hypopharyngeal cancer who had undergone salvage surgery after local and/or regional CRT failures with no distant metastasis. RESULTS: Larynx-sacrificing pharyngectomy was performed in 12 (54.5%) of all patients. Postoperative complications occurred in 9 (40.9%), and carotid artery blowout occurred in two of these patients. After salvage surgery, the 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 52.8% and 28.9%, respectively. The 2-year disease specific survival rate and locoregional control rate were 45.5% and 60.0%, respectively. The initial N2-3 stage (p=0.038) and the concurrent local and regional failures (p=0.035) were independent predictors for decreased survival after salvage surgery. Two-year overall survival rates for patients with 2, 1, or none of these predictive factors were 23.3%, 66.7%, and 80.0%, respectively (p=0.027). CONCLUSION: Although salvage surgery after CRT has postoperative complications and unfavorable larynx preservation, it can be considered as a viable option with acceptable oncologic outcomes for advanced hypopharyngeal cancer. The initial N2-3 stage and concurrent local and regional failures were independent predictors that can stratify patients into distinct prognostic groups for postsalvage survival.