Limited surgery for cancer of the larynx and hypopharynx: options and consequences

Tumor dimension-dependent microscopic extensions of hypopharyngeal cancer: Therapeutic implications for larynx-preserving hypopharyngectomy

INTRODUCTION

Hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC) is well characterized by the early submucosal spread of cancer cells into adjacent subsites of the hypopharynx and deep tissues, advocating a wide extent of treatment. However, the microscopic extensions (ME) from gross tumors, according to the primary tumor dimensions, has not been reported in detail.

METHODS

We included patients who underwent upfront curative surgery, and retrospectively reviewed pathology specimens from 45 HPC cases. The distance of the MEs, defined as tumor infiltration beyond the gross tumor border on the submucosal and deep sides, was measured. We analyzed potential correlations between MEs and various physical tumor factors.

RESULTS

A rough linear correlation between the submucosal ME and the maximal diameter of tumors was found (p < .001, r²  = 0.225). Deep MEs did not correlate with tumor physical factors. However, the MEs differed significantly by the T status (p = .033 and .015 in submucosal and deep sides). In T1-2 tumors, the submucosal MEs were less than 0.5 cm, whereas those of T3-4 tumors were 1.5-2.0 cm.

CONCLUSION

In HPC, local MEs beyond the gross tumor border correlated with primary tumor T status. Our findings support that the surgical safety margin for HPC can be adjusted according to tumor dimension.

Transoral resection of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers

The advent of transoral microlaryngoscopic laser surgery is making a significant impact on treatment decisions in the management of early squamous cancers of the larynx and the hypopharynx. It has, to a great extent replaced the conventional open partial laryngectomy procedures. Moreover many cancers of the larynx or the hypopharynx that were earlier being treated with radiation therapy are now resected transorally with the CO(2) laser. This article focuses on the progress of transoral laser microsurgery in the management of early larygopharyngeal cancers.

Supracricoid laryngectomy with cricohyoidoepiglotto-pexy or cricohyoido-pexy: Experience on 32 patients

OBJECTIVE

Supracricoid laryngectomy (SCL) with Cricohyoidoepiglotto-pexy (CHEP) or Cricohyoido-pexy (CHP) is an organ preservation surgery indicated for early and selected advanced laryngeal cancers. To verify the clinical usefulness of supracricoid laryngectomy versus total laryngectomy, a retrospective review was conducted.

METHODS

We summarized the clinical and postoperative data of 32 patients who received SCL over the past 9 years (1997-2005). Five-year survival rate of the SCL patient group (29 cases) was compared with that of the patient group receiving total laryngectomy (35 cases) within the same period.

RESULTS

Wound infection was detected in 12 patients (38%). Those with severe infection, which required surgical intervention, included two cases of ruptured pexis and two cases showing cricoid cartilage necrosis induced by Forestier disease. There were two T4 cases that resulted in extensive excision. In one case, excision involved the posterior part of the cricoid cartilage resulting in insufficient closure of the neoglottis; the patient received total laryngectomy 30 months after SCL-CHEP because of persistent aspiration of liquid diet. In the other T4 case, the tumor invaded the thyroid and arytenoid cartilages but not the cricoid cartilage. Reposition of the remaining corniculate cartilage resulted in sufficient closure of the neoglottis; this patient subsequently acquired satisfactory laryngeal function. The 5-year overall survival rate was 86% for SCL group and 61% for the total laryngectomy group (limited to Stages III and IV glottic cancers). The causes of the four deaths were distant metastasis, neck metastasis, and intercurrent disease, respectively. Two patients are alive with distant disease.

CONCLUSION

Through our experience in this series, the functional and oncological results of SCL showed certain advantages over those of total laryngectomy. Particularly, the clinical impact of SCL-CHEP was impressive; this technique needs is recommended to both head and neck surgeons and patients.

Chemoradiation therapy with or without salvage surgery for early squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx

PURPOSE

Early squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx is a rare clinical entity. Our objective was to analyze the outcome of patients with early hypopharyngeal cancer treated with curative radiotherapy or the combination of preoperative radiotherapy with surgery.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Forty-three patients with Stage I-II hypopharyngeal cancer were initially treated with 30-40 Gy of irradiation with or without chemotherapy. Thirty-two patients (74.4%) who demonstrated a complete response continued to receive further radiotherapy, with a median total dose of 61.2 Gy. Eleven other patients (25.6%) received surgery.

RESULTS

Local control with laryngeal voice preservation was achieved in 8 (88.9%) of 9 patients with Stage I disease, and in 23 (67.6%) of 34 patients with Stage II disease. The overall and disease-specific 5-year survival rates for all patients were 70.4% and 89.5%, respectively. The disease-specific survival rates according to the T-category were 100% for patients with T1 disease and 87.2% for patients with T2 disease (p = 0.32). Twenty patients (46.5%) had synchronous or metachronous cancers. Four patients died of hypopharyngeal cancer, and 5 died of second-primary esophageal cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

A majority of patients with early hypopharyngeal cancer was curable. However, second malignancies influenced the overall outcome of patients with early hypopharyngeal cancer.

[Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: retrospective study of 149 patients]

PURPOSE

Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is associated to one of the most unfavorable prognosis among the cancers of the head and neck. The purpose of this study is to analyze its therapeutic modalities in the Salah-Azaïz Institute (Tunis) and to compare their results.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

This retrospective study concerns 271 hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas, compiled in the Carcinologic Surgery Department of Head and Neck of the Salah-Azaïz Institute over a period of 25 years (from 1977 to 2002). The average age of the patients was of 56 years; sex-ratio was on average of 1.2 (man/woman). The indication of a curative treatment was initially retained for 149 (55%) patients, who were the only ones retained for the analysis of results.

RESULTS

We retained the indication of a protocol including surgery and postoperating radiotherapy for 26.2% of the patients. Postoperation mortality rate was 5.1%; the operating rate of morbidity was 46.2%. For 13.5% of the patients, postoperating radiotherapy was permanently interrupted because of a gradual deterioration of the patients' health in the course of treatment. We retained the indication of exclusive radiotherapy for 59.7% of the patients. The average age was of 56 years and the sex-ratio of 1.2. The external radiotherapy was conventional. Radiotherapy had to be permanently interrupted in progress in 32.6% of cases on account of an deterioration of the patients' health; the rate of morbidity of the radiotherapy was 33.3%. We indicated a protocol of conservation of organ with induction chemotherapy for 21 patients (14.1%). The average age was of 53 years (28-65 years) and sex-ratio (man/woman) of 0.5. The global survival was 25.5% at one year, 18.1% at two years, 11.4% at three years and 7.4% at five years. All the patients selected for chemotherapy died in the course of treatment. The rates of survival in two and five years according to protocols surgery-radiotherapy and exclusive radiotherapy were respectively: 21.5 and 12%, and 18.3 and 10%. The difference between the rates of survival of this two protocols is not significant (P =0.08).

CONCLUSION

Although the induction chemotherapy entails a particularly high death rate in our series, the association surgery-radiotherapy and the exclusive radiotherapy seem to be similarly efficient for the treatment of the hypopharyngeal carcinoma.