title: Clinical and pathologic predictors of survival in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx after surgical treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) usually presents at an advanced stage. Although chemoradiotherapy has become more popular in treating HPSCC in recent years, surgery with postoperative adjuvant therapy still plays an important role. The purpose of this study was to identify the clinicopathologic factors that predict survival in patients with HPSCC who underwent surgical treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1986 and 1995, 94 previously untreated HPSCC patients who underwent surgery with or without postoperative radiotherapy were enrolled. The surgical specimens were reexamined by a single pathologist. The clinicopathologic parameters and prognostic data were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a median follow-up of 50 months, the 5-year overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and relapse-free survival (RFS) were 47%, 60%, and 58%, respectively. Thirty-seven patients (39%) had tumor recurrence. The level of lymph node metastasis was an independent factor in OS, DSS, and RFS. Neck biopsy before surgery, tumor involvement of more than 1 subsite, and extracapsular spread were independent factors in DSS, as was lymphovascular permeation in RFS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of cervical lymph node metastasis is the only independent prognostic factor in OS, DSS, and RFS. The addition of postoperative chemoradiotherapy may benefit high-risk cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, 201, Sec 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pen-Yuan
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Wing-Yin
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shyue-Yih
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D007825:Laryngectomy; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D010611:Pharyngectomy; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant