Survival outcome of patients undergoing salvage surgery for hypopharyngeal cancer after failure of primary curative treatment: a retrospective study

ObjectivesSalvage surgery for hypopharyngeal cancer remains a major challenge, and only a few studies have been conducted. In this study, we review our 10 years of experience in treating patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. The main aim of this study is to analyze survival outcomes in patients who underwent salvage surgery compared with those who had complete remission or inoperable residual tumors.MethodsChart reviews were performed for all patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent curative treatment at a tertiary care hospital between 2009 and 2019. Data on survival, clinical course, and complications were analyzed.ResultsSalvage surgery was performed in 15 of the 34 patients with residual hypopharyngeal cancer. Of these, 10 patients with isolated residual neck disease underwent salvage neck dissection, and five patients with residual primary tumors underwent salvage total or partial laryngopharyngectomy.The overall 3-year survival rate of patients who underwent salvage surgery was 33.3%. Patients who underwent salvage neck dissection alone had significantly better survival rates than those who received palliative treatment, with median survival times of 21 and 12 months, respectively. The median survival time of patients who underwent laryngopharyngectomy for residual primary tumors was 14 months, which was not significantly different from that of patients who received palliative treatments.ConclusionSalvage surgery was associated with improved survival in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer and isolated residual neck disease. Nevertheless, the survival benefit of salvage surgery in patients with residual primary disease remains unclear.