title: The survival rate and larynx preservation in elderly cancer patients who received surgical operation: A retrospective cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate the efficiency of surgical operation for patients over 70 years with hypopharyngeal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of the medical records from 68 patients over 70 years-old with hypopharyngeal cancer who underwent different therapeutic regimen between 2000 and 2009 was conducted. 36 of 68 patients underwent larynx preservation. All patients were treated with surgical operation and adjuvant radiotherapy. A Kaplan-Meier method was employed to calculate the survival rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall 3 year-and 5 year-survival rates were 48.6% and 29.4% respectively. For patients who underwent larynx preservation, 5 year-survival rate was 30.5%, which was decreased compared to 3 year-survival rate (46.9%) However, 3 year- and 5 year-survival rates in patients without larynx preservation were 46.9% and 28.1% respectively, suggesting that no statistically significant difference of survival rates was found between patients with or without larynx preservation (P > 0.05). A majority of patients who receive larynx preservation exhibited normal breathing and eating abilities and could present an intelligible speech. 16 of 36 patients who preserved larynx and 14 of 32 patients who underwent laryngectomy showed postoperative complication. No significant difference was observed in these two treatments, indicating larynx preservation is not a factor for inducing complication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence that the quality of life for elderly patients with hypopharyngeal cancer can be improved by optimizing the therapeutic regimen based on the physical condition of each patient.
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical University of Anhui, Hefei, China; The Second People's Hospital of Hefei & Affiliated Hospital of Medical University of Anhui, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical University of Anhui, Hefei, China. Electronic address: yeahaliu@126.com.
authors.forename: Yehai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The Second People's Hospital of Hefei & Affiliated Hospital of Medical University of Anhui, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Guoqin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Second People's Hospital of Hefei & Affiliated Hospital of Medical University of Anhui, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Ruokun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical University of Anhui, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical University of Anhui, Hefei, China; Department of Anatomy, University of Otogo, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D007825:Laryngectomy; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D059351:Organ Sparing Treatments; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: Elderly patients; Hypopharyngeal cancer; Laryngectomy; Larynx preservation; Pharyngectomy