Surgery is not the only determinant of an outcome in patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes in patients treated for hypopharyngeal carcinoma in a single-center and the importance of considering how patient factors influence outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on patients who were seen at the Prince of Wales Hospital from 1968 to 2015. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed for each patient and treatment factor to investigate outcomes of local control, cancer-specific survival (CSS), and ultimate local control. RESULTS: Three hundred thirty patients were analyzed. Significant multivariate predictors for improved local control and CSS were fitness for surgery, cancer operability, surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy, no treatment interruptions (P < .05). Five-year local control (84%), CSS (50%), and ultimate local control (84%) rates were significantly higher in patients treated surgically with adjuvant radiotherapy, compared to single modality treatment (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Patient factors influence the outcomes experienced by patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma.