Background: Management of hypopharynx cancer is often extrapolated from larynx cancer. This report analyses treatment patterns and survival limited to hypopharynx cancer using the National Cancer Database (NCDB).
Methods: There are 9314 patients diagnosed with hypopharynx cancer between 2004 and 2016. The association between treatment modality and survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariable Cox regression.
Results: Five-year overall survival ranged from 45% for stage I to 21% for stage IVB. Treatment modality did not influence survival in stage I/II. For stage III/IV, chemoradiation and surgery + adjuvant therapy were equivalent. Surgery yielded improved survival for T4 disease. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive tumors were present in 21% and were associated with improved hazard ratio of death (0.60, p = <0.0001).
Conclusions: Survival is superior for T4 hypopharynx cancer managed with surgery, while treatment modality does not impact outcomes for other T-stages. HPV-positive tumors are associated with improved survival regardless of treatment.
Keywords: chemoradiation; hypopharyngeal; hypopharynx; pyriform sinus; surgery.
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