A multicenter retrospective study on neck dissection and adjuvant radiotherapy with transoral surgery for hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Objective: The aim of this multicenter retrospective study was to analyze the impact of prophylactic neck dissection and adjuvant therapy in transoral surgery for hypopharyngeal cancer. Methods: We compared the impact of surgical margin assessment, neck dissection, and adjuvant treatment on oncologic outcomes in patients who underwent transoral surgery for hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma between 2015 and 2021. Results: Two hundred and twenty-one patients were included. The 3-year local recurrence-free survival was 89.1 %, and local recurrence did not significantly impact overall survival. Positive vertical margins resulted in 60 % of patients receiving additional treatment, with no increase in local recurrence and a significant increase in regional recurrence (p = 0.007) and distant metastasis (p < 0.001). Half of the patients with regional recurrence after neck dissection also had distant metastases and worse survival (p = 0.069), while those with regional recurrence without prophylactic neck dissection did not have worse survival. Conclusion: In cases of positive vertical margin, careful surveillance for regional recurrence and distant metastasis is also warranted. Prophylactic neck dissection may not be necessary.