Radiotherapy alone or combined with neck dissection for T1-T2 carcinoma of the pyriform sinus: an alternative to conservation surgery.

PURPOSE: We present our experience with irradiation alone or combined with neck dissection for AJCC T1-T2 pyriform sinus carcinoma and compare our results to those obtained with conservation surgery.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Seventy-three patients were treated between 1964 and 1990. All patients had a minimum of 2 years of follow-up; no patient was lost to follow-up.

RESULTS

The 5-year rates of local control and ultimate local control were, for Stage T1 (17 patients), 88% and 94%; and for Stage T2 (56 patients), 79% and 91%. Patients with T2 lesions had a significantly higher rate of local control after twice-daily, compared with once-daily, irradiation (p = .04). However, a multivariate analysis of various parameters revealed that none of the variables tested significantly influenced this end point: vocal cord mobility (p = .15), once- vs. twice-daily fractionation (p = .33), T1 vs. T2 (p = .32), apex invasion (p = .58), and pretreatment CT scan (p = .67). Local control with laryngeal voice preservation was obtained in 88% of patients with T1 cancers and 80% of those with T2 cancers. Ultimate control above the clavicles at 5 years according to AJCC stage was as follows: I and II, 100%; III, 78%; IVA, 75%; and IVB, 60%. The probability of cause-specific survival at 5 years was as follows: I and II, 100%; III, 83%; and IVA and IVB, 51%. Overall, nine patients (12%) developed severe complications, one of which was fatal.

CONCLUSION

Compared with available data from series using conservation surgery, radiotherapy alone or followed by neck dissection results in similar rates of local control and survival with a significantly lower risk of fatal complications.