Research ArticleClinical Studies
Open Access

Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Malignancies: Where Do We Stand? A Retrospective Single-center Study

PETR SKOPEK, DAVID SLOUKA, BRETISLAV GAL, MIROSLAV TEDLA, MARTIN PESTA, ALENA SKALOVA, RADEK KUCERA, PAVEL KLAIL and TOMAS KOSTLIVY
In Vivo January 2026, 40 (1) 398-410; DOI: https://doi.org/10.21873/invivo.14204

Abstract

Background/Aim: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the larynx and hypopharynx shows subsite-specific patterns, with supraglottic tumors closely resembling hypopharyngeal SCC. This study aimed to analyze 10-year epidemiologic trends, management, and outcomes in a tertiary hospital, with emphasis on prognostic similarities between supraglottic and hypopharyngeal tumors.

Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort of 454 patients with laryngeal or hypopharyngeal SCC (2012-2022) was evaluated. Demographic characteristics, TNM stage, treatment modality, and 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) were analyzed.

Results: Hypopharyngeal SCC cases were predominantly advanced (T3-T4: 66.4%; N2-N3: 82.7%) and more often metastatic (29.8%), compared with laryngeal SCC (40.6%, 21.1%, and 5.4%, respectively; p<0.0001). Within laryngeal subsites, supraglottic tumors closely resembled hypopharyngeal SCC in stage distribution, nodal burden, metastasis rate (10.3%), and the 5-year DSS (50.0%). Glottic tumors achieved favorable outcomes (5-year DSS 87.3%). Overall, DSS was 73.3% for laryngeal vs. 49.4% for hypopharyngeal SCC (p<0.0001). Treatment trends showed a shift toward organ-preserving strategies in laryngeal SCC, while hypopharyngeal SCC consistently relied on non-surgical therapy.

Conclusion: Over the past decade, the incidence, demographics, and stage distribution of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal SCC remained stable. Although laryngeal SCC management increasingly favored organ preservation, hypopharyngeal SCC persisted as an advanced-stage disease primarily treated with non-surgical approaches. Five-year DSS remained substantially poorer for hypopharyngeal SCC. Supraglottic laryngeal tumors shared clinical and prognostic characteristics with hypopharyngeal SCC, including advanced stage, high metastatic rate, and inferior survival. The notable prevalence of distant metastases-nearly 30% in hypopharyngeal and 10% in supraglottic SCC-underscores the importance of incorporating PET/CT or PET/MR into baseline staging and highlights the need for multicenter studies to optimize management of these high-risk subgroups.

Keywords:

Introduction

Oncologic diagnosis and treatment are principally determined by the TNM classification and histopathological tumor characteristics. Therapeutic decisions, including whether to treat and which modality to choose, are based on diagnostic findings, physiological age, overall performance status, and the patient’s preferences and values.

The foundations of care for patients with suspected hypopharyngeal and laryngeal tumors date back to the work of Billroth in the late 19th century (1). Due to their anatomical proximity, these tumors often present with similar symptoms, including nonspecific signs of malignancy such as fatigue, fever, weight loss, and malaise (2, 3). By contrast, glottic laryngeal tumors typically present early with dysphonia/hoarseness, facilitating prompt diagnosis. Supraglottic and subglottic laryngeal tumors, as well as hypopharyngeal tumors, are usually detected later and more often manifest with odynophagia, dysphagia, throat pain, or locoregional metastases (4, 5). With progression, hemoptysis, fetor ex ore, and signs of airway compromise can occur in all localities; tumor necrosis or secondary infection may also be present (6).

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the larynx is the most common malignancy in otorhinolaryngology, accounting for approximately 30-40% of head and neck cancers, and typically presents in men over 60 years of age (4, 7). Hypopharyngeal carcinoma is comparatively less frequent, comprising approximately 10% of head and neck cancers, and is observed predominantly in men over 50 years (8, 9). Histologically, SCC of varying degrees of differentiation predominates in both locations; representing up to 95% of cases. Other variants, including adenocarcinoma, papillary carcinoma, verrucous carcinoma, and spindle cell carcinoma, are rare (10, 11). Additional, equally rare, laryngeal malignancies include mesenchymal tumors (sarcomas, lymphomas), malignant melanoma, and neuroendocrine tumors (12, 13).

The predominant exogenous factors in the etiology of these malignancies are tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption, whose combined use markedly increases the risk of disease development (6, 10). Additional contributors include malnutrition, poor oral health and dental caries, extraesophageal reflux, occupational exposure to chromium, asbestos, and nickel compounds, and ionizing radiation. Viral factors, particularly herpesviruses, Epstein-Barr virus, and human papillomavirus, have also been implicated (4, 14, 15).

The anatomic localization of the tumor determines clinical presentation and patterns of regional and distant spread, and thereby influences both treatment selection and prognosis (16, 17). Glottic carcinomas are the most common and are typically diagnosed at an early stage; cervical nodal metastases are uncommon (in approximately 5% of cases) and usually arise only with deeper invasion or transglottic spread. By contrast, supraglottic tumors (≈40% of all laryngeal cancers) and subglottic tumors (<5%) present with cervical lymph node metastases in 35-45% of patients, which may constitute the initial manifestation of disease. Hypopharyngeal carcinomas exhibit even higher metastatic rates, with locoregional nodal involvement present in nearly 70% of patients at diagnosis (3, 18, 19).

Diagnosis requires specialist otolaryngologic evaluation. The introduction of narrow-band imaging (NBI) into routine endoscopic practice has improved the detection of superficial SCC in the larynx and hypopharynx. Tumor extent and extralaryngeal spread are typically assessed with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in conjunction with neck ultrasonography (US). In tertiary centers, hybrid imaging, positron emission tomography combined with CT (PET/CT) or MRI (PET/MR), are employed to assess distant metastases (DM) (5, 20, 21). Sample collection for histological examination is most often performed during direct microlaryngoscopy or hypopharyngoscopy under general anesthesia. In selected cases, particularly with large supraglottic or hypopharyngeal tumors, biopsy may be performed under local anesthesia in cooperative patients. Management of upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) malignancies involves surgery, radiotherapy, and/or oncological therapy, alone or in combination. The treatment plan should be formulated by a multidisciplinary board (otolaryngology, oncology, radiology, and other specialties as needed), considering the primary tumor’s extent and location, nodal and distant spread, and histology, alongside patient-specific factors and preferences (22, 23). For early-stage disease (T1-T2N0M0), surgery and radiotherapy achieve comparable oncologic outcomes (24, 25). For operable advanced tumors, primary surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy has been the conventional standard; however, larynx-preservation protocols now enable organ-sparing approaches in selected patients, with salvage surgery reserved for persistent or recurrent disease (26-28).

This study aimed to provide an epidemiologic analysis of hypopharyngeal and laryngeal SCC over a 10-year period at a tertiary hospital and to identify temporal trends in presentation, management, and outcomes.

Patients and Methods

Study design and setting. This retrospective, single-center epidemiological study was conducted at a tertiary hospital. Data were collected over a 10-year period, from 2012 to 2022. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital in Pilsen (protocol code 136/25).

Patients. A total of 476 patients were initially diagnosed with malignant tumors of the hypopharyngeal and laryngeal regions. The cohort consisted of 424 men (89.1%) and 52 women (10.9%), aged 26-91 years (mean 64.5; median 65).

Exclusion criteria were: Non-SCC histology and incomplete documentation, including patients treated primarily in another hospital. Accordingly, 22 patients were excluded. The final cohort included 454 patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the larynx or hypopharynx. Demographic details of the cohort are summarized in Table I, and patient selection is illustrated in Figure 1.

View this table:
Table I.

Demographic characteristics of the study cohort.

Figure 1.
Figure 1.

Flowchart of the study.

Variables and data collection. Clinical and demographic data were extracted from hospital medical records. The following variables were analyzed: epidemiological characteristics: age, sex; tumor characteristics: primary site (larynx vs. hypopharynx), TNM stage, multiplicity; treatment modalities: categorized into four groups – surgery only; surgery with radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT), including adjuvant and neoadjuvant regimens; primary RT or CRT only; and refusal of treatment; outcomes: disease-specific survival (5-year DSS), and temporal trends of variables.

Statistical analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS software (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). Graphical outputs, including box plots, pie charts, and survival curves, were generated using STATISTICA software (StatSoft Inc., Tulsa, OK, USA).

Continuous variables were summarized using descriptive statistics (mean, median, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum), while categorical variables are expressed as absolute and relative frequencies. Group comparisons were performed using the χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables and the Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables, as appropriate.

DSS was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Differences between groups were assessed using the log-rank test. Prognostic factors were evaluated with Cox proportional hazards regression models, and results are reported as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Statistical significance was set at a=0.05.

Results

Incidence, age, and sex. The incidence of SCC of the hypopharynx remained essentially stable throughout the study period (p=0.2247), whereas laryngeal SCC showed significant interannual variation (p<0.0001), which was also reflected in the combined cohort of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal tumors (p<0.0001). Sex distribution (for all samples p=0.6734; for larynx p=0.8632; for hypopharynx p=0.1965) and patient age (p=0.7725, p=0.6332, p=0.8293) did not change significantly across the study years in either subgroup or in the cohort as a whole.

TNM classification and multiplicity. At diagnosis, laryngeal tumors were more frequently detected at early stages (T1-T2: 59.4%), whereas hypopharyngeal tumors were predominantly diagnosed at advanced stages (T3-T4: 66.4%). These differences between the two subgroups were statistically significant (p<0.0001). However, no significant temporal trends in T classification were observed within either subgroup (larynx: p=0.9823; hypopharynx: p=0.6870).

With respect to nodal status, 69.7% of laryngeal cancer patients presented with N0 disease, whereas the vast majority of hypopharyngeal cancer patients had nodal involvement at diagnosis (90.4%). Distant metastases were also more frequently found in hypopharyngeal SCC (29.8% vs. 5.4% in laryngeal SCC). No significant temporal changes were observed in locoregional or distant metastatic status across the study period. For details see Table II and Figure 2A-C.

View this table:
Table II.

TNM classification in patients with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.

TNM classification and treatment trends in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Multiplicity of tumors was observed in 8.6% of laryngeal SCC cases and 10.6% of hypopharyngeal SCC cases. While separate subgroup analyses did not reveal statistically significant changes over time, in the overall cohort, a modest but significant temporal trend in tumor multiplicity was observed (p=0.0048).

Treatment trends. In the laryngeal SCC group, 114 (32.6%) patients underwent surgery alone, 96 (27.4%) surgery combined with RT/CRT, 119 (34.0%) primary oncological therapy, and 21 (6.0%) declined treatment. In the hypopharyngeal SCC group, oncological therapy was the most frequent treatment (59.6%), followed by surgery combined with RT/CRT (19.2%), treatment refusal (15.4%), and surgery alone (5.8%).

Over the 10-year study period, a significant shift toward primary oncological therapy was observed in the overall cohort (p<0.0001), particularly in the laryngeal SCC subgroup (p<0.0001). In contrast, treatment patterns in the hypopharyngeal SCC subgroup were already dominated by oncological therapy and remained stable over time (p =0.6433). Detailed distributions are shown in Figure 2D.

Disease-specific survival. A total of 366 patients (281 with laryngeal SCC and 85 with hypopharyngeal SCC) were included in 5-year DSS (5-DSS) analysis. The five-year DSS differed significantly between groups: 73.3% (206 patients) in laryngeal SCC vs. 49.4% (42 patients) in hypopharyngeal SCC (p<0.0001) (Figure 3).

Figure 3.
Figure 3.

Five-year disease-specific survival in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

No significant changes in 5-DSS were observed over time for the overall cohort or for laryngeal SCC (p=0.5079; p=0.6214, respectively). In contrast, hypopharyngeal SCC showed significant variation across the study period (p= 0.0023).

TNM classification was significantly associated with 5-DSS in both subgroups. In laryngeal SCC, survival differed by T stage (p<0.0001) while in hypopharyngeal SCC a similar but weaker association was observed (p= 0.0461). Both nodal status and the presence of distant metastases were strong prognostic factors in both subgroups (all p<0.0001). In contrast, age and sex had no significant impact on survival.

Discussion

Incidence, age, and sex trends. In this 10-year cohort, hypopharyngeal SCC remained a rare malignancy, accounting for approximately one tenth of head and neck carcinomas, with a stable annual incidence (5-15 cases; p=0.2247). By contrast, laryngeal SCC comprised nearly one third of cases and demonstrated significant year-to-year variation (12-50 cases; p<0.0001). The marked decline observed in 2020-2022, followed by partial recovery in 2022 (Figure 2D), is likely attributable to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted cancer diagnostics and limited access to treatment. This finding contrasts with large population-based studies reporting a steady decline in laryngeal carcinoma incidence over time (29). Literature regarding hypopharyngeal SCC remains inconsistent, though modest overall increases are anticipated due to demographic changes (19, 30, 31).

Age distribution was stable across the study period, although patients with laryngeal SCC were slightly older than those with hypopharyngeal SCC (65.2 vs. 62.2 years; p=0.0066). This small difference is of limited clinical significance. Sex distribution remained unchanged, with persistent male predominance (89.4% vs. 88.5%; p=0.8572, Figure 4).

Figure 4.
Figure 4.

Age differences between patients with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

TNM classification and stage at diagnosis. As expected, significant differences were found between the two groups regarding TNM stage at diagnosis (p<0.0001, Figure 5). Despite widespread access to advanced imaging modalities, including hybrid imaging and narrow-band imaging (32), no shift toward earlier-stage detection was observed in either subgroup (all patients p=0.9091, hypopharynx p=0.8272, larynx p=0.6648). This finding contrasts with expectations based on recent studies (33, 34), which reported increasing rates of early-stage diagnosis, particularly in hypopharyngeal carcinoma (Figure 5A).

Figure 5.
Figure 5.

Differences between laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in stage at diagnosis and treatment: A) TNM stage I-II vs. III-IV in hypopharyngeal vs. laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), B) treatment differences between laryngeal and hypopharyngeal SCC.

The distribution of laryngeal subsites in our cohort, glottic (60%, 210 patients), supraglottic (33%, 116 patients), subglottic (2%, 8 patients), and transglottic (5%, 16 cases), differed from patterns described in recent literature (4, 7). Supraglottic tumors closely resembled hypopharyngeal carcinomas in their clinical behavior, with a high proportion of advanced-stage disease (T3 or higher in 60.4%, 70 patients) and extensive nodal involvement (N2 or higher in 62.1%, 72 cases). This reflects the late onset of symptoms in supraglottic and hypopharyngeal cancers, a well-known challenge for early diagnosis (4, 6, 35, 36). Our hypopharyngeal cohort demonstrated similarly advanced disease at presentation, with 66.4% (69) of patients diagnosed at T3-T4 and 82.7% (86) of patients presenting with N2-N3 involvement, consistent with previous studies (6, 19, 31).

The occurrence of distant metastases in hypopharyngeal SCC was strikingly high (29.8%), exceeding the 2.8-23.8% range previously reported in head and neck cancers (37). Although laryngeal SCC showed a lower rate overall (5.4%, 19 cases), in supraglottic tumors, the rate was 10.3% (12 patients), further emphasizing their clinical similarity to hypopharyngeal disease. These findings support the broader use of PET/CT or PET/MRI in the initial diagnostic work-up of both hypopharyngeal SCC and supraglottic laryngeal SCC (37-39).

Tumor multiplicity was observed in 8.6% of laryngeal SCC and 10.6% of hypopharyngeal SCC, with no statistically significant difference between groups (p=0.5595). These rates are lower than the 11-36% reported in earlier series (40-42). For hypopharyngeal carcinoma specifically, our incidence was also below those reported by Raghavan (43) (22.6%) and Guo (44) (19.2%). This discrepancy may reflect differences in cohort size and patient selection.

Treatment trends. Treatment patterns in our cohort reflected stage at presentation (Figure 5B). In hypopharyngeal SCC, oncological therapy predominated, consistent with Vermorken et al. (45), Guigay et al. (46) and Bossi et al. (47), and surgical management was rarely indicated. Over time, the preference for nonsurgical approaches became more pronounced, although changes were not statistically significant (p=0.6433). As noted in the literature, radical surgery in advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma often severely compromises quality of life (17, 48, 49). Because early-stage disease is often asymptomatic, the opportunity for less invasive surgery is frequently missed (24, 50).

In contrast, laryngeal SCC demonstrated a statistically significant shift toward organ-preserving modalities in recent years (p<0.0001), despite stable TNM stage distribution over the study period (p=0.6648). This mirrors trends described by Rzepakowska et al. (51) and Baird et al. (25), highlighting the increasing adoption of non-surgical approaches even at comparable stages.

Survival outcomes. No significant differences in 5-DSS were observed across the study period for the overall cohort or for laryngeal SCC. In contrast, hypopharyngeal SCC showed significant interannual variation (p=0.0023). These interannual fluctuations should be interpreted with caution, as they may reflect small patient numbers per year, differences in stage distribution at diagnosis, evolving treatment strategies, and potential systemic factors affecting access to care. Five-year DSS was significantly worse in hypopharyngeal SCC (49.4%) compared to laryngeal SCC (73.3%) (p<0.0001), consistent with multiple prior reports (27, 36, 52). Within laryngeal subsites, supraglottic SCC showed survival rates (50%) comparable to hypopharyngeal carcinoma, while glottic tumors had markedly better outcomes (87.3%).

Neither sex nor age significantly influenced survival overall. However, age stratification revealed poorer outcomes in laryngeal SCC patients >75 years [hazard ratio (HR)=1.94; 95%CI=1.17-3.22; p=0.0101] and in hypopharyngeal SCC patients aged 55-60 years (HR=2.46; 95%CI=1.09-5.53), suggesting possible age-related differences in tumor biology or treatment response. TNM stage remained the strongest prognostic factor. In laryngeal SCC, 5-DSS was 91.0% in early stages (T1-T2) versus 58.2% in advanced disease (T3-T4) (p<0.0001). For hypopharyngeal SCC, survival decreased from 66.7% in early stages to 38.9% in advanced stages (p=0.0045). Nodal status and distant metastases carried particularly high prognostic value. In laryngeal SCC, the presence of a larynx regional metastatic process conferred a HR of 6.604 (95%CI=4.055-10.754, p<0.0001). In hypopharyngeal SCC, N3 disease conferred HR of 8.14 (95%CI=3.54-18.71). Distant metastases were similarly adverse, with HR of 4.30 in laryngeal SCC and 3.99 in hypopharyngeal SCC. These results are in line with prior studies identifying DM as a critical prognostic factor (48, 53, 54).

Despite the poor prognosis associated with advanced hypopharyngeal and supraglottic SCC, outcomes should not be considered uniformly fatal. Combined-modality treatment, including organ-preserving strategies, can improve survival while maintaining laryngeal function. Our findings highlight that early detection remains a critical challenge. Advanced imaging (PET/CT or PET/MRI) should be considered in hypopharyngeal and supraglottic SCC due to the high risk of distant metastases. Individualized treatment planning, accounting for patient age and comorbidities, is crucial given their nuanced impact on prognosis.

Conclusion

Over the 10-year study period, no significant changes were observed in the overall incidence, age distribution, sex ratio, or TNM classification of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal SCC. Treatment trends differed. While the treatment of hypopharyngeal SCC consistently favored non-surgical approaches without significant changes over time, the treatment of laryngeal SCC has recently shifted toward organ-preserving, non-surgical modalities. Five-year DSS remained stable in laryngeal SCC, and interannual differences in hypopharyngeal SCC were without clinical impact. Notably, nearly 30% of patients with hypopharyngeal SCC presented with distant metastases, underscoring the potential benefit of incorporating PET/CT or PET/MR into the initial diagnostic work-up. Given the striking clinical similarities between supraglottic laryngeal and hypopharyngeal SCC, further multicenter studies are warranted to optimize diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for these challenging tumor sites.

Footnotes

  • Authors’ Contributions

    Methodology: BG, AS; investigation: MT, MP; writing – original draft preparation: PS, DS; writing – review and editing: TK, RK, DS; data collection: PK, TK, PS.

  • Conflicts of Interest

    All Authors declare no conflicts of interest in relation to this study.

  • Funding

    This work was supported by the Cooperatio Program, research area SURG. Supported by Ministry of Health, Czech Republic – conceptual development of research organization (Faculty Hospital in Pilsen-FNPl, 00669806).

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) Disclosure

    No artificial intelligence tools, including large language models or machine learning software, were used in the preparation, analysis, or presentation of this manuscript.

  • Received September 15, 2025.
  • Revision received October 7, 2025.
  • Accepted October 9, 2025.

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 international license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0).

References

  1. ↵
    1. Billroth T
    : Die allgemeine chirurgische Pathologie und Therapie in 51 Vorlesungen:Ein Handbuch für Studierende und Aerzte. 14th ed. Berlin, Riemer, pp. 980, 1889.
  2. ↵
    1. Cattaruzza MS,
    2. Maisonneuve P,
    3. Boyle P
    : Epidemiology of laryngeal cancer. Eur J Cancer B Oral Oncol 32B(5): 293-305, 1996. DOI: 10.1016/0964-1955(96)00002-4
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  3. ↵
    1. Siegel RL,
    2. Miller KD,
    3. Jemal A
    : Cancer statistics, 2016. CA Cancer J Clin 66(1): 7-30, 2016. DOI: 10.3322/caac.21332
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  4. ↵
    1. Igissin N,
    2. Zatonskikh V,
    3. Telmanova Z,
    4. Tulebaev R,
    5. Moore M
    : Laryngeal cancer: epidemiology, etiology, and prevention: a narrative review. Iran J Public Health 52(11): 2248-2259, 2023. DOI: 10.18502/ijph.v52i11.14025
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  5. ↵
    1. Nakanishi H,
    2. Doyama H,
    3. Takemura K,
    4. Yoshida N,
    5. Tsuji K,
    6. Takeda Y,
    7. Asahina Y,
    8. Kito Y,
    9. Ito R,
    10. Hayashi T,
    11. Hirano K,
    12. Goto Y,
    13. Tominaga K,
    14. Inagaki S,
    15. Waseda Y,
    16. Tsuji S,
    17. Miwa K,
    18. Kaneko Y,
    19. Yamada S,
    20. Kurumaya H,
    21. Sakumoto M,
    22. Okada T
    : Detection of pharyngeal cancer in the overall population undergoing upper GI endoscopy by using narrow-band imaging: a single-center experience, 2009-2012. Gastrointest Endosc 79(4): 558-564, 2014. DOI: 10.1016/j.gie.2013.09.023
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  6. ↵
    1. Escalante D,
    2. Hohman MH,
    3. Sanders O,
    4. Pathak S
    : Hypopharyngeal cancer. Treasure Island, FL, USA, StatPearls Publishing, 2025.
  7. ↵
    1. Mousavi SE,
    2. Ilaghi M,
    3. Aslani A,
    4. Najafi M,
    5. Yekta Z,
    6. Nejadghaderi SA
    : Laryngeal cancer incidence trends in the United States over 2000-2020: a population-based analysis. Arch Public Health 82(1): 106, 2024. DOI: 10.1186/s13690-024-01333-1
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  8. ↵
    1. Bradley PJ
    : Epidemiology of hypopharyngeal cancer. Adv Otorhinolaryngol 83: 1-14, 2019. DOI: 10.1159/000492299
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  9. ↵
    1. Mochizuki M,
    2. Tamai K,
    3. Imai T,
    4. Sugawara S,
    5. Ogama N,
    6. Nakamura M,
    7. Matsuura K,
    8. Yamaguchi K,
    9. Satoh K,
    10. Sato I,
    11. Motohashi H,
    12. Sugamura K,
    13. Tanaka N
    : CD271 regulates the proliferation and motility of hypopharyngeal cancer cells. Sci Rep 6: 30707, 2016. DOI: 10.1038/srep30707
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  10. ↵
    1. Barsouk A,
    2. Aluru JS,
    3. Rawla P,
    4. Saginala K,
    5. Barsouk A
    : Epidemiology, risk factors, and prevention of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Med Sci (Basel) 11(2): 42, 2023. DOI: 10.3390/medsci11020042
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  11. ↵
    1. Chrobok V,
    2. Kominek P,
    3. Plzak J,
    4. Čelakovský P,
    5. Zeleník K
    : Otorinolaryngologie a chirurgie hlavy a krku. Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic, Tobias, 2022.
  12. ↵
    1. Ferlito A,
    2. Devaney KO,
    3. Rinaldo A
    : Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the larynx: Advances in identification, understanding, and management. Oral Oncol 42(8): 770-788, 2006. DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2006.01.002
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  13. ↵
    1. Slouka D
    : Otorhinolaryngology. Prague, Czech Republic, Galen, 2018.
  14. ↵
    1. Secretan B,
    2. Straif K,
    3. Baan R,
    4. Grosse Y,
    5. El Ghissassi F,
    6. Bouvard V,
    7. Benbrahim-Tallaa L,
    8. Guha N,
    9. Freeman C,
    10. Galichet L,
    11. Cogliano V, WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph Working Group
    : A review of human carcinogens–Part E: tobacco, areca nut, alcohol, coal smoke, and salted fish. Lancet Oncol 10(11): 1033-1034, 2009. DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(09)70326-2
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  15. ↵
    1. Hall SF,
    2. Groome PA,
    3. Irish J,
    4. O’Sullivan B
    : The natural history of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx. Laryngoscope 118(8): 1362-1371, 2008. DOI: 10.1097/MLG.0b013e318173dc4a
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  16. ↵
    1. Lin H,
    2. Wang T,
    3. Heng Y,
    4. Zhu X,
    5. Zhou L,
    6. Zhang M,
    7. Shi Y,
    8. Cao P,
    9. Tao L
    : Risk stratification of postoperative recurrence in hypopharyngeal squamous-cell carcinoma patients with nodal metastasis. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 147(3): 803-811, 2021. DOI: 10.1007/s00432-020-03337-0
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  17. ↵
    1. Shiotani A,
    2. Tomifuji M,
    3. Araki K,
    4. Yamashita T,
    5. Saito K
    : Videolaryngoscopic transoral en bloc resection of supraglottic and hypopharyngeal cancers using laparoscopic surgical instruments. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 119(4): 225-232, 2010. DOI: 10.1177/000348941011900403
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  18. ↵
    1. Wang Y,
    2. Li C,
    3. Yang F,
    4. Gong M,
    5. Qu J,
    6. Ma R,
    7. Hu Z,
    8. Lou M,
    9. Ren X,
    10. Zheng G,
    11. Bai Y,
    12. Zhang Y,
    13. Hou J
    : Random survival forest predicts survival in patients with metastatic laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer and the prognostic benefits of surgery and radiotherapy. J Cancer 16(2): 603-621, 2025. DOI: 10.7150/jca.103793
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  19. ↵
    1. Petersen JF,
    2. Timmermans AJ,
    3. van Dijk BAC,
    4. Overbeek LIH,
    5. Smit LA,
    6. Hilgers FJM,
    7. Stuiver MM,
    8. van den Brekel MWM
    : Trends in treatment, incidence and survival of hypopharynx cancer: a 20-year population-based study in the Netherlands. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 275(1): 181-189, 2018. DOI: 10.1007/s00405-017-4766-6
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  20. ↵
    1. Su HA,
    2. Hsiao SW,
    3. Hsu YC,
    4. Wang LY,
    5. Yen HH
    : Superiority of NBI endoscopy to PET/CT scan in detecting esophageal cancer among head and neck cancer patients: a retrospective cohort analysis. BMC Cancer 20(1): 69, 2020. DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-6558-4
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  21. ↵
    1. Krátká Z,
    2. Paska J,
    3. Šíblová V,
    4. Licková K,
    5. Lohynská R,
    6. Čoček A
    : Use of PET/ CT in diagnostics of distant metastasis and secondary malignancies in head and neck oncology. Otorinolaryngol Foniatr 70(1): 6-11, 2021. DOI: 10.48095/ccorl20216
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  22. ↵
    1. Zabrodsky M,
    2. Calabrese L,
    3. Tosoni A,
    4. Ansarin M,
    5. Giugliano G,
    6. Bruschini R,
    7. Tradati N,
    8. De Paoli F,
    9. Tredici P,
    10. Betka J,
    11. Chiesa F
    : Major surgery in elderly head and neck cancer patients: immediate and long-term surgical results and complication rates. Surg Oncol 13(4): 249-255, 2004. DOI: 10.1016/j.suronc.2004.09.003
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  23. ↵
    1. Zachariah B,
    2. Balducci L,
    3. Venkattaramanabalaji GV,
    4. Casey L,
    5. Greenberg HM,
    6. DelRegato JA
    : Radiotherapy for cancer patients aged 80 and older: a study of effectiveness and side effects. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 39(5): 1125-1129, 1997. DOI: 10.1016/s0360-3016(97)00552-x
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  24. ↵
    1. Yasumatsu R,
    2. Manako T,
    3. Jiromaru R,
    4. Hashimoto K,
    5. Wakasaki T,
    6. Matsuo M,
    7. Nakagawa T
    : Clinical management of early-stage hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a single-institution clinical analysis. Ear Nose Throat J 102(7): NP313-NP318, 2023. DOI: 10.1177/01455613211013084
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  25. ↵
    1. Baird BJ,
    2. Sung CK,
    3. Beadle BM,
    4. Divi V
    : Treatment of early-stage laryngeal cancer: a comparison of treatment options. Oral Oncol 87: 8-16, 2018. DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2018.09.012
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  26. ↵
    1. Huang SH,
    2. O’Sullivan B,
    3. Waldron J,
    4. Lockwood G,
    5. Bayley A,
    6. Kim J,
    7. Bernard Cummings B,
    8. Laura A,
    9. Dawson LA,
    10. Hope A,
    11. Cho J,
    12. Witterick I,
    13. Chen EX,
    14. Ringash J
    : Patterns of care in elderly head-and-neck cancer radiation oncology patients: a single-center cohort study. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 79(1): 46-51, 2011. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2009.10.052
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  27. ↵
    1. Takes RP,
    2. Strojan P,
    3. Silver CE,
    4. Bradley PJ,
    5. Haigentz M,
    6. Wolf GT,
    7. Shaha AR,
    8. Hartl DM,
    9. Olofsson J,
    10. Langendijk JA,
    11. Rinaldo A,
    12. Ferlito A
    : Current trends in initial management of hypopharyngeal cancer: The declining use of open surgery. Head Neck 34(2): 270-281, 2012. DOI: 10.1002/hed.21613
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  28. ↵
    1. Heng Y,
    2. Zhu X,
    3. Zhou L,
    4. Zhang M,
    5. Zhou H,
    6. Tao L
    : The presence of risk factors and corresponding treatment strategies post-surgical resection in stage IV hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients: a retrospective cohort study. Ann Transl Med 8(5): 189, 2020. DOI: 10.21037/atm.2020.01.102
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  29. ↵
    1. Mourad M,
    2. Jetmore T,
    3. Jategaonkar AA,
    4. Moubayed S,
    5. Moshier E,
    6. Urken ML
    : Epidemiological trends of head and neck cancer in the United States: a SEER population study. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 75(12): 2562-2572, 2017. DOI: 10.1016/j.joms.2017.05.008
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  30. ↵
    1. Simard EP,
    2. Torre LA,
    3. Jemal A
    : International trends in head and neck cancer incidence rates: Differences by country, sex and anatomic site. Oral Oncol 50(5): 387-403, 2014. DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2014.01.016
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  31. ↵
    1. Kuo P,
    2. Chen MM,
    3. Decker RH,
    4. Yarbrough WG,
    5. Judson BL
    : Hypopharyngeal cancer incidence, treatment, and survival: Temporal trends in the United States. Laryngoscope 124(9): 2064-2069, 2014. DOI: 10.1002/lary.24651
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  32. ↵
    1. Šatanková J,
    2. Staníková L,
    3. Švejdová A,
    4. Černý M,
    5. Laco J,
    6. Chrobok V
    : Diagnostic value of narrow band imaging in visualization of pathological lesions in larynx and hypopharynx. Acta Medica (Hradec Kralove) 63(3): 132-138, 2020. DOI: 10.14712/18059694.2020.34
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  33. ↵
    1. Wang D,
    2. Li N,
    3. Guo R,
    4. Pang J,
    5. Zhang L,
    6. Zhang F,
    7. Zhang J,
    8. Yang X
    : Clinical value of narrow band imaging endoscopy in the early diagnosis and staging assessment of laryngeal and hypopha-ryngeal cancer. J Voice, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2024.07.002
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  34. ↵
    1. Deva FAL
    : Narrow Band Imaging Technology: Role in the detection of recurrent laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers post-radiotherapy. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 75(2): 753-759, 2023. DOI: 10.1007/s12070-022-03457-8
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  35. ↵
    1. Zumsteg ZS,
    2. Luu M,
    3. Yoshida EJ,
    4. Kim S,
    5. Tighiouart M,
    6. David JM,
    7. Shiao SL,
    8. Mita AC,
    9. Scher KS,
    10. Sherman EJ,
    11. Lee NY,
    12. Ho AS
    : Combined high-intensity local treatment and systemic therapy in metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: An analysis of the National Cancer Data Base. Cancer 123(23): 4583-4593, 2017. DOI: 10.1002/cncr.30933
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  36. ↵
    1. Imanishi Y,
    2. Ozawa H,
    3. Sakamoto K,
    4. Fujii R,
    5. Shigetomi S,
    6. Habu N,
    7. Otsuka K,
    8. Sato Y,
    9. Watanabe Y,
    10. Sekimizu M,
    11. Ito F,
    12. Tomita T,
    13. Ogawa K
    : Clinical outcomes of transoral videolaryngoscopic sur-gery for hypopharyngeal and supraglottic cancer. BMC Cancer 17(1): 445, 2017. DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3396-0
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  37. ↵
    1. Kuperman DI,
    2. Auethavekiat V,
    3. Adkins DR,
    4. Nussenbaum B,
    5. Collins S,
    6. Boonchalermvichian C,
    7. Trinkaus K,
    8. Chen L,
    9. Morgensztern D
    : Squamous cell cancer of the head and neck with distant metastasis at presentation. Head Neck 33(5): 714-718, 2011. DOI: 10.1002/hed.21512
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
    1. Pan Y,
    2. Hong Y,
    3. Liang Z,
    4. Zhuang W
    : Survival analysis of distant metastasis of laryngeal carci-noma: analysis based on SEER database. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 276(1): 193-201, 2019. DOI: 10.1007/s00405-018-5244-5
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  39. ↵
    1. Li Y,
    2. Ou X,
    3. Hu C
    : Prevalence and prognostic impact of synchronous distant metastases in pa-tients with hypopharynx squamous cell carcinomas: a SEER-based study. J Cancer 10(3): 620-626, 2019. DOI: 10.7150/jca.28554
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  40. ↵
    1. Sturgis EM,
    2. Miller RH
    : Second primary malignancies in the head and neck cancer patient. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 104(12): 946-954, 1995. DOI: 10.1177/000348949510401206
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
    1. León X,
    2. Quer M,
    3. Diez S,
    4. Orús C,
    5. López-Pousa A,
    6. Burgués J
    : Second neoplasm in patients with head and neck cancer. Head Neck 21(3): 204-210, 1999. DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0347(199905)21:3<204::aid-hed4>3.0.co;2-7
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  42. ↵
    1. Dhooge IJ,
    2. De Vos M,
    3. Van Cauwenberge PB
    : Multiple primary malignant tumours in patients with head and neck cancer: results of a prospective study and future perspectives. Laryngo-scope 108(2): 250-256, 1998. DOI: 10.1097/00005537-199802000-00017
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  43. ↵
    1. Raghavan U,
    2. Quraishi S,
    3. Bradley PJ
    : Multiple primary tumors in patients diagnosed with hy-popharyngeal cancer. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 128(3): 419-425, 2003. DOI: 10.1067/mhn.2003.98
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  44. ↵
    1. Guo L,
    2. Fu Y,
    3. Miao C,
    4. Wu S,
    5. Zhu Y,
    6. Liu Y
    : Second primary malignancy in patients with hypopha-ryngeal carcinoma: a SEER-based study. Int J Gen Med 14: 8847-8861, 2021. DOI: 10.2147/IJGM.S339595
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  45. ↵
    1. Vermorken JB,
    2. Mesia R,
    3. Rivera F,
    4. Remenar E,
    5. Kawecki A,
    6. Rottey S,
    7. Erfan J,
    8. Zabolotnyy D,
    9. Kienzer H,
    10. Cupissol D,
    11. Peyrade F,
    12. Benasso M,
    13. Vynnychenko I,
    14. De Raucourt D,
    15. Bokemeyer C,
    16. Schueler A,
    17. Amellal N,
    18. Hitt R
    : Platinum-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab in head and neck cancer. N Engl J Med 359(11): 1116-1127, 2008. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0802656
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  46. ↵
    1. Guigay J,
    2. Fayette J,
    3. Dillies AF,
    4. Sire C,
    5. Kerger JN,
    6. Tennevet I,
    7. Machiels JP,
    8. Zanetta S,
    9. Pointreau Y,
    10. Bozec Le Moal L,
    11. Henry S,
    12. Schilf A,
    13. Bourhis J
    : Cetuximab, docetaxel, and cisplatin as first-line treatment in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a multicenter, phase II GORTEC study. Ann Oncol 26(9): 1941-1947, 2015. DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdv268
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  47. ↵
    1. Bossi P,
    2. Miceli R,
    3. Locati L,
    4. Ferrari D,
    5. Vecchio S,
    6. Moretti G,
    7. Denaro N,
    8. Caponigro F,
    9. Airoldi M,
    10. Moro C,
    11. Vaccher E,
    12. Sponghini A,
    13. Caldara A,
    14. Rinaldi G,
    15. Ferrau F,
    16. Nolè F,
    17. Lo Vullo S,
    18. Tettamanzi F,
    19. Hollander L,
    20. Licitra L
    : A randomized, phase 2 study of cetuximab plus cisplatin with or without paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Ann Oncol 28(11): 2820-2826, 2017. DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx439
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  48. ↵
    1. Grover S,
    2. Swisher-McClure S,
    3. Mitra N,
    4. Li J,
    5. Cohen RB,
    6. Ahn PH,
    7. Lukens JN,
    8. Chalian AA,
    9. Wein-stein GS,
    10. O’Malley BW Jr.,
    11. Lin A
    : Total laryngectomy versus larynx preservation for T4a larynx cancer: patterns of care and survival outcomes. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 92: 594-601, 2015. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2015.03.004
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  49. ↵
    1. Forastiere AA
    : Larynx preservation and survival trends: should there be concern? Head Neck 32(1): 14-17, 2010. DOI: 10.1002/hed.21295
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  50. ↵
    1. Martin A,
    2. Jäckel MC,
    3. Christiansen H,
    4. Mahmoodzada M,
    5. Kron M,
    6. Steiner W
    : Organ preserving transoral laser microsurgery for cancer of the hypopharynx. Laryngoscope 118(3): 398-402, 2008. DOI: 10.1097/MLG.0b013e31815aeda3
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  51. ↵
    1. Rzepakowska A,
    2. Żurek M,
    3. Niemczyk K
    : Review of recent treatment trends of laryngeal cancer in Poland: a population-based study. BMJ Open 11(4): e045308, 2021. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045308
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
  52. ↵
    1. Weiss BG,
    2. Bertlich M,
    3. Canis M,
    4. Ihler F
    : Transoral laser microsurgery or total laryngectomy for recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx: retrospective analysis of 199 cases. Head Neck 39(6): 1166-1176, 2017. DOI: 10.1002/hed.24737
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  53. ↵
    1. Liu JC,
    2. Bhayani M,
    3. Kuchta K,
    4. Galloway T,
    5. Fundakowski C
    : Patterns of distant metastasis in head and neck cancer at presentation: implications for initial evaluation. Oral Oncol 88: 131-136, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2018.11.023
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  54. ↵
    1. Du E,
    2. Mazul AL,
    3. Farquhar D,
    4. Brennan P,
    5. Anantharaman D,
    6. Abedi-Ardekani B,
    7. Weissler MC,
    8. Hayes DN,
    9. Olshan AF,
    10. Zevallos JP
    : Long-term survival in head and neck cancer: impact of site, stage, smoking, and human papillomavirus status. Laryngoscope 129(11): 2506-2513, 2019. DOI: 10.1002/lary.27807
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
Back to top

In this issue

Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Email Article
Citation Tools
Reprints and Permissions
Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Malignancies: Where Do We Stand? A Retrospective Single-center Study
PETR SKOPEK, DAVID SLOUKA, BRETISLAV GAL, MIROSLAV TEDLA, MARTIN PESTA, ALENA SKALOVA, RADEK KUCERA, PAVEL KLAIL, TOMAS KOSTLIVY
In Vivo Jan 2026, 40 (1) 398-410; DOI: 10.21873/invivo.14204
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo

Jump to section

Keywords