Salvage surgery for recurrent or residual hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review

Abstract Background This systematic review aggregates the data of studies that include site‐specific analyses of patients undergoing salvage surgery for residual or recurrent hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods The primary outcomes are disease‐free, disease‐specific, and overall survival (DFS, DSS, and OS, respectively). Secondary outcomes include complications and postoperative feeding requirements. Results Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria with a total of 442 patients. Two‐year DFS is reported from 30.0 to 50.0% and 5‐year DFS ranges from 15.0 to 57.1%. Five‐year DSS ranges from 28.0 to 57.1%. Two‐year OS ranges from 38.8 to 52.0% and 5‐year OS ranges from 15.5 to 57.1%. Complications include pharyngocutaneous fistula (0.0–71.4%), carotid artery rupture (2.9–13.3%), and stomal stenosis (4.2–20.0%). Complete oral feeding achieved following surgery ranges from 61.9 to 100.0%, while complete gastrostomy tube dependence ranges from 0.0 to 28.6%. Conclusions Salvage surgery for residual or recurrent hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has a relatively high complication rate and should be offered to patients with the understanding of a guarded prognosis.