Hypopharynx Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HPHSC)

Overview

Hypopharynx squamous cell carcinoma (HPHSC) is a subtype of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) arising in the hypopharynx. It sits at OncoTree level 3 under the HEAD_NECK lineage. Like LXSC, organ preservation through chemoradiotherapy is a primary treatment goal for advanced disease.

Cohorts in the corpus

  • 231 HPHSC patients enrolled in a European randomized trial (NCT00002839, July 1996–April 2004); 51% of the total 450-patient cohort; 89% male; median age 55 years; 58% stage IV, 39% stage III. PMID:19176454

Recurrent alterations

  • No gene-specific molecular profiling was performed in the primary clinical trial cohort; EGFR-targeted therapy (cetuximab) was discussed as a future direction based on external data. PMID:19176454
  • Hypopharynx squamous cell carcinoma (HPHSC) cases were included in the TCGA HNSC 279-sample cohort alongside oral cavity, oropharynx, and larynx sites; site-specific mutation frequencies reported for TP53, CASP8, NSD1, and CDKN2A across anatomic subsites. PMID:25631445

Subtypes

  • Not molecularly subtyped in the corpus; clinical staging (T2-T4, N0-N2) used as primary stratification. PMID:19176454

Therapeutic landscape

  • Sequential and alternating chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin/fluorouracil are viable organ-preservation strategies for advanced HPHSC; the alternating schedule produces significantly less acute grade 3-4 mucositis (21% vs 32%, P < 0.001) and fewer late connective tissue sequelae (11% vs 16%, P = 0.029) without improving overall survival. PMID:19176454

Sources

  • PMID:19176454 — Lefebvre et al. (2009), randomized trial of sequential vs alternating chemoradiotherapy for organ preservation in advanced LXSC and HPHSC.

This page was processed by crosslinker on 2026-05-14. - PMID:25631445

This page was processed by crosslinker on 2026-05-14.