{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.023854362837413684, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0194601381042059, 'mean_word_length': 6.212669683257919, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Post‐laryngectomy adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with pharyngocutaneous fistulae: Treatment regimens, outcomes and complications in 67 patients

1.About 200.000 people worldwide are newly diagnosed annually with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, many in locally advanced stages. 2. The recommended treatment options for these patients are either primary chemoradiotherapy or total laryngectomy/ laryngopharyngectomy followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. Early adjuvant radiotherapy after laryngectomy/laryngopharyngectomy is crucial for the patient's prognosis. 3. Pharyngocutaneous fistulae occur in about 20% of patients after total laryngectomy and laryngopharyngectomy and impede radiotherapy due to fear of permanent or long-term wound healing disorders. 4. In an Austrian cohort of 67 patients with locally advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma we show that occurrence of pharyngocutaneous fistulae significantly delayed the onset of adjuvant radiotherapy (p=0.012) resulting in a significant decline in prognosis in patients beginning adjuvant radiation later then 42 days after surgery (p=0.003 univariate; p=0.004 multivariate). 5. Additionally, two patients were irradiated with an open pharyngeal salivary fistula without any secondary complication, and both fistulae closed spontaneously during radiation. Therefore, we advocate that early adjuvant radiotherapy in patients after primary laryngopharyngectomy should be considered despite persistent pharyngocutaneous fistulae. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.