Carcinoma of the hypopharynx. A retrospective analysis of the treatment results over a 25-year period.

One hundred and sixty-two patients treated for hypopharyngeal cancer during the 25-year period 1958-1982 were reviewed retrospectively. Of the 162 patients, 29 received combined treatment with surgery and postoperative irradiation, 106 received radical radiotherapy alone, and 27 palliative radiotherapy. The 5-year survival rate was 28% for the patients treated with combined therapy and 16% for the patients treated with radical radiotherapy. There were no long-term survivors in the palliatively treated group. The major cause of death was tumour (102 patients) while 40 patients died of intercurrent diseases.