Objective: To study the surgical treatment and the long-term effect of different reconstructive methods in surgical treatment of hypopharyngeal cancer.
Methods: A retrospective review of 303 (265 males, 38 females, ages ranging from 32 to 77 years) cases with hypopharyngeal cancer that were treated with surgical treatment from 1965 to 1998 were accomplished. Of the 303 cases, 130 cases were treated with different reconstructive methods and 173 cases without reconstruction. Of the 130 (stage II, 5; III, 16; IV, 109) cases, 94 were originated from pyriform sinus, 18 from posterior pharyngeal wall and 18 from postcricoid. Fifteen patients were reconstructed with free jejunum. Eighty-one patients were performed total pharyngo-larygo-oesophagectomy and gastric pull-up. Ten patients were treated with vascularized colon. Twenty patients were reconstructed with pectorals major myocutaneous flap. Four patients were reconstructed with other methods. Of the 173 (stage I, 7; II, 12; III, 51; IV, 103) cases, 160 were originated from pyriform sinus, 8 from posterior pharyngeal wall and 5 from postcricoid.
Results: The overall 3 and 5 years survival rate of 130 patients with reconstruction were 43.2%, 36.4% respectively. The overall 5 years survival rate of 173 patients with no reconstruction was 47.7%. The overall rate of regular swallowing was over 80%. The mortality rate in period of surgery of gastric pull-up and pectorals major myocutaneous flap were 8.6% and 15% respectively. No patients with free jejunum and vascularized colon died. The overall complication rate in nineties was lower than before 1990 (chi2 = 13.457, P = 0.004). The highest complication rate occurred in patients with pectorals major myocutaneous flap. In contrast to other reconstruction methods, the rate of success of swallowing was higher in patients with free jejunum.
Conclusions: In selected patients these reconstruction techniques enable functional rehabilitation of swallowing. Even high survival rate was obtained after extended partial pharyngolaryngectomy.