ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the survival outcomes and prognostic factors of patients with salvage surgery for hypopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed, including 26 patients treated in Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital between January 2010 and December 2015. All patients were males, aged 48-83 years, of whom 8 cases were local residual after radiotherapy alone, 8 cases were local recurrence after postoperative radiotherapy, 2 cases were residual of cervical lymph nodes after radiotherapy alone, 2 cases were recurrence of cervical lymph nodes after radiotherapy alone, 2 cases were recurrence of cervical lymph nodes after postoperative radiotherapy and 4 cases were recurrence of tracheal stoma. The salvage operations included: local resection, local resection with neck dissection, simple neck dissection, tumor resection of tracheostomy, and additional repair according to the defect. Chi square test was used for recurrence and metastasis analysis, Kaplan-Meier method for survival analysis, Log-rank test for univariate analysis, and Cox regression model for multivariate analysis. Results: The complication rate of salvage surgery was 23.1% (6/26). The recurrence rate was 65.4% (17/26) and the distant metastasis rate was 42.3% (11/26) in the 5-year follow-up after salvage surgery. Patient's age and tumor invasion extent were correlated with recurrence. Initial treatment, tumor persistence or recurrence after radiotherapy, recurrence location and tumor invasion extent were correlated with distant metastasis (all P<0.05). Overall, 3 year and 5 year survival rates were 42.3% and 23.1% respectively. Age, recurrence location, surgical margin and tumor invasion extent were related to prognosis (χ²=6.56, 10.68, 9.32, and 7.90 respectively, all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that surgical margin and tumor invasion extent were independent risk factors for prognosis (OR (95%CI) = 3.19 (1.03-9.84), 14.37 (2.46-84.08), both P<0.05). Conclusion: Salvage surgery is the first choice for patients with recurrence after radiotherapy for hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Safe surgical margin should be ensured, especially in tumors invading muscle, bone tissue or lymph node capsule.