We evaluated a cohort of advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, treated with conservative surgery, reconstruction with infrahyoid flap and radio-chemotherapy. Methods: We used partial pharyngo-laryngectomy and radio-chemotherapy to treat fifty-seven patients with stage III-IV hypopharyngeal SCC from November 1994 to December 2011. Clinical examination and speech therapy evaluation were used for estimation of laryngeal function. Results: All patients received a partial pharyngo-laryngectomy. All patients underwent neck dissection; 56 patients received bilateral neck dissection. Reconstruction was achieved by infra-hyoid flap. Five-year overall and disease-specific survival rates were 54.4% and 61.4%, respectively. Successful laryngeal function preservation with complete five-year remission was achieved in 44% of the patients. Conclusion: Selected even if advanced carcinomas of the hypopharynx maybe treated with partial pharyngolaryngectomy with reconstruction with pedicled flap. Both oncological and functional results showed a good outcome.

Objectives: Close margin is a frequent situation after parotidectomy. The need for systematic prophylactic revision surgery is a question that arises regularly for malignant tumors, as it exposes to a high risk of facial palsy, while oncological benefits are unclear. Study Design: retrospective study. Setting: Multicentric. Subjects and Methods: We included all patients operated for systematic revision surgery in case of close margins after parotidectomy for a malignant tumor and analyzed the rate of tumor residue and its risk factors. Results: A tumor residue was identified in 43.5% of 23 cases, but none in case of initial complete excision with supra-millimetric margins. Invaded lymph nodes were identified in 6 cases, but none in case of low-grade tumors. Conclusions: Systematic revision seems mandatory in case of infra-millimetric margins and high-grade tumors or positive lymph node; further studies are needed to confirm whether it can be spared for T1-T2/N0 low-grade tumors, with close margins but complete initial excision.