Intensity-modulated radiotherapy in definitive oncological treatment of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) is treated by definitive concomitant chemoradiotherapy at most centres. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is an advanced computer-controlled high-precision radiotherapy technique that has been used at our institution in the treatment of HSCC since 2002. Our aim was to review the treatment results of IMRT-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients diagnosed with HSCC. The cohort comprised all patients with previously untreated, biopsy-proven squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx treated by definitive CRT using IMRT between March 2002 and November 2010. All patients were diagnosed M0. Forty-five eligible patients were identified. Six patients were treated by radiotherapy alone and 39 patients received concomitant chemotherapy. All patients had a minimum follow-up of 3 years or until death. Complete response was achieved in 29/45 (64 %) patients. Salvage surgery was performed on 10/16 patients with incomplete response. The 5-year estimates for overall survival, disease-specific survival, and local control in the whole cohort were 31, 45, and 64 %, respectively. Classifications T4 and N2c-N3 were prognostic for worse survival. None of the surviving patients needed permanent tracheotomy or PEG tube. We conclude that survival after IMRT-based CRT remained unsatisfactory with frequent relapses at distant sites. The outcome figures were comparable with those that have been achieved by surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. However, all the surviving patients in the current study cohort could retain their functioning larynx. These results using IMRT-based definitive CRT as the primary option for the treatment of HSCC support its continued usage for the delivery of radiotherapy.