LAUSR

Approximately 5% of all mucosal head and neck (H&N) squamous cell cancers (SCC) arise from the hypopharynx. Patients with hypopharyngeal SCC (HPSCC) tend to have a poor prognosis compared with other subsites with reported 5-year survival of 27% in the UK. Most patients (80%) have stage III/IV disease at presentation. There are very few HPSCC-specific studies and this subsite is not well represented in more general H&N SCC trials. Thus, deciding the best treatment plan is difficult and relies on the expertise of an experienced multi-disciplinary team (MDT). Patient fitness for treatment complicates matters further. The incidence of H&N cancer increases with age and is closely correlated with deprivation and the associated disproportionate burden of smoking, alcohol use and ill health. The aim of this series was to review outcomes of patients with HPSCC in our cancer network.