[Hypopharyngeal cancer: analysis of the evolution and surgical results].

OBJECTIVE Hypopharyngeal carcinoma is an aggressive malignancy that usually presents at a late stage, thereby resulting in an overall poor prognosis for these patients. The aim of this study is to determine the evolution and postoperative results of patients treated in our department for hypopharyngeal cancer. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 60 patients who had undergone surgery followed by radiation therapy between 1980-1999. Most of them were advanced stage (III-IV) and 75% patients showed regional metastases at presentation. RESULTS The 5-year survival rate was 38.4%. The overall incidence of distant metastases and second neoplasms was 12.5% and 10.4%. CONCLUSIONS Hypopharyngeal cancer remains one of the most lethal ones in head and neck cancer. The poor survival rate is related primary to advanced stage disease and particularly to lymph node metastases.