<p>　Objective: In recent years, the opportunities to detect hypopharyngeal cancer in the early stage have increased thanks to advances in optical instruments. In this report, we discuss regional differences and the process of recent hospital visits in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer who visited our hospital.<br>　Methods: The subjects were patients with hypopharyngeal cancer who were referred to the department of Otolaryngology, Kagoshima University Medical and Dental Hospital during the period from January 2009 to December 2015.<br>　Results: Among 45 hypopharyngeal cancer patients from Kagoshima City, 4 (8.8%), 3 (6.6%), 13 (28.8%), 5 (11.1%), and 20 patients (44.4%) were diagnosed as having phase 0, I, II, III and IV, respectively. Among 75 patients from the mainland, other than Kagoshima, 6 (8.0%), 5 (6.6%), 12 (16.0%), 12 (16.0%), and 40 patients (53.3%) were diagnosed as having phase 0, I, II, III and IV, respectively. Among 23 patients from isolated islands, 0 (0%), 3 (13.0%), 2 (8.7%), 3 (13.0%) and 15 patients (65.2%) were diagnosed as having phase 0, I, II, III and IV, respectively. In the comparison between the groups, a statistically significant difference (p=0.04) was confirmed between the patients from Kagoshima City vs. those from the isolated islands.<br>　In the phase IV group alone, the number of patients who were referred by a department of otolaryngology was higher, while many patients with phase 0 to III were referred by other departments.<br>　Conclusion: In a statistical comparison, the number of patients with advanced cancer from the isolated islands was significantly higher than that of patients from Kagoshima City, suggesting a regional difference. Regarding the department that referred patients to our hospital, in the phase IV group alone, the number of patients referred by the department of otolaryngology was higher, while many patients in earlier stages were referred from other departments.</p>