[The results of treatment of hypopharyngeal carcinoma: some prognostic factors].

Eighty nine patients with hypopharynx carcinoma treated from 1970 to 1997 at the ENT Clinic of Pomeranian Medical Academy were studied retrospectively. There were only IV stage patients. The treatment consisted of surgery alone (n = 21), radiotherapy and post-radiotherapy surgery (n = 7), a planned combination of surgery and post-operative radiotherapy (n = 61). The 3-year survival was 34.88%, whereas the 5-year disease-free survival was 25.04%. The 5-year survival was related to the preoperative nodal staging (N0--52.8%; N1--17.8%; N2--28.3% and N3--0%), the number of lymph nodes metastases (no metastases 45.1%, 1--28.2%, 2-4--23.9%, > 4--0%), and the size of nodes (0 cm--31.6%, 1-3 cm--21.9%, > 3 cm--30.7%). Radiotherapy applied to operative treatment failed to exert any meaningful positive influence on the overall percentage of survivals. 17 patients had local recurrences and 6 node recurrences. Mainly following factors exerted the influence on appearance of nodal recurrence: component N and the number of metastatic nodes. It was pointed out that the result of treatment of hypopharynx carcinoma are still poor and unchanged despite of developing our skills and using new technology of treatment.