Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42249198›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2026

Long-term functional and nutritional outcomes in patients with retropharyngeal lymph node-positive hypopharyngeal cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Michihisa Kono, Shota Sakaue, Takumi Kumai, Masato Hangai, Ruka Hashimoto, Kaito Hata, Shu Hachiyanagi, Risa Wakisaka, Hidekiyo Yamaki, Kenzo Ohara and 2 more

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Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Michihisa Kono *Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan. mkono@asahikawa-med.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8506-928X
Shota Sakaue *Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan.
Takumi KumaiDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan. t-kumai@asahikawa-med.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3411-671X
Masato HangaiDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan.
Ruka HashimotoDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan.
Kaito HataDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan.
Shu HachiyanagiDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan.
Risa WakisakaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan.
Hidekiyo YamakiDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan.
Kenzo OharaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan.
Kan KishibeDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan.
Miki TakaharaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRetropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) metastasis is considered a poor prognostic factor in hypopharyngeal cancer because of its anatomical inaccessibility and association with distant failure. RPLN involvement often necessitates expanded radiation fields encompassing critical swallowing and breathing-related structures such as the pharyngeal constrictors, raising concerns that organ-preserving chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) might compromise long-term functional and nutritional outcomes. However, the long-term functional and nutritional impact of RPLN irradiation in the era of contemporary definitive concurrent IMRT-based CCRT has not been well characterized.

methodsWe retrospectively reviewed 62 consecutive patients with previously untreated Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) who underwent definitive CCRT between 2015 and 2024 at our institution. Fourteen patients (22.6%) had radiologically diagnosed RPLN metastasis. Clinicopathological factors, survival outcomes (OS, DSS, PFS, DMFS), recurrence patterns, late adverse events, and laryngo-esophageal dysfunction-free survival (LEDFS) were compared according to RPLN status. Longitudinal change in nutritional indices and functional outcomes were assessed.

resultsRPLN metastasis was significantly associated with posterior pharyngeal wall tumors and bilateral cervical lymph node involvement. Five-year OS, DSS, PFS, and DMFS did not differ significantly between RPLN + and RPLN- patients. Although the cumulative incidence of distant metastasis was higher in the RPLN + group, this did not translate into inferior survival. Importantly, functional outcomes including late dysphagia, feeding tube dependence, aspiration events, nutritional deterioration, and LEDFS were not significantly different between groups, suggesting no clear signal of excess long-term functional or nutritional deterioration in the RPLN + group.

conclusionIn this exploratory retrospective cohort, no statistically significant worsening of long-term functional or nutritional outcomes was observed in RPLN + patients with HPSCC treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Given the limited sample size and number of events, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and considered hypothesis-generating.

Indexed as

ChemoradiotherapyHypopharyngeal NeoplasmsSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckAgedFemaleHumansLymphatic MetastasisLymph NodesMaleMiddle AgedNutritional StatusOrgan Sparing TreatmentsPrognosisRetrospective StudiesChemoradiotherapyFunctional outcomesHypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinomaLaryngo-esophageal dysfunction–free survivalNutritional statusRetropharyngeal lymph node metastasis

Identifiers

PMID42249198

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.