title: Radiotherapy and Concurrent Chemo-Radiotherapy in Locally Advanced Hypopharyngeal Cancers--A Hospital Registry Based Analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The survival of patients with hypopharyngeal cancer is low amongst head and neck cancer cases. The incidence rates of hypopharyngeal cancers in our population are amongst the highest in the world and there are limited data available on the literature on varied responses to first course of treatment with radiotherapy (RT) and concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) in our population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical characteristics and initial responses to treatment in patients who had received radiotherapy and chemo-radiotherapy in a regional cancer center from January 2010 to December 2013 were evaluated. The data were obtained from the hospital cancer registry, and analysis was carried using descriptive statistics. Pearson's chi-square was used to test for differences in the variables and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 554 patients were included in the analysis, 411 (74.2%) receiving RT and 143 (25.8%) being given CRT. There was significantly lower number of patients above 70 years with a higher proportion of patients below 50 years who had received CRT (p<0.05). Some 79.3% and 84.6% of patients in the RT and CRT groups respectively presented with a favorable performance status, and in the RT group 240 (58.4%) showed complete response (CR), and in the CRT group 103 (72.0%) showed CR at the first follow-up (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Concurrent chemo-radiotherapy gives better short term response to treatment in locally advanced hypopharyngeal cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Registry, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dr.B Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, India E-mail : mani_greeva@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Jagannath Dev
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Manigreeva
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krishnatreya
authors.forename: Ashok Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Mouchumee
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
authors.forename: Munlima
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hazarika
authors.forename: Amal Chandra
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kataki
authors.forename: Nizara
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baishya
authors.forename: Pintu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nandy
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012042:Registries; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies