Curative Radiotherapy for Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Stratified by P16 Status, According to the Eighth Edition American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Manual: A Retrospective Study

Overview

Journal Cancer Diagn Progn

Specialty Oncology

Date 2024 Mar 4

PMID 38434911

Authors

Atsuto Katano

Masanari Minamitani

Shingo Ohira

Hideomi Yamashita

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background/aim: The prevalence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is increasing worldwide. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of patients with OPSCC undergoing definitive radiotherapy, stratified according to their p16 status.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on consecutive patients with OPSCC treated with curative external beam radiotherapy between May 2015 and September 2023. Clinical staging was determined by the eighth edition AJCC staging manual for p16 positive and negative OPSCC. All patients were treated with radiotherapy using a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) with helical tomotherapy. The fractionation scheme, with or without chemotherapy, for the primary site and nodal lesions consisted of 2 Gy per fraction for a total dose of 70 Gy in 35 fractions over seven weeks.

Results: This study included 76 patients with a median age of 66 years. With a median follow-up time of 32.6 months, the 3-year progression-free survival rate was significantly higher in p16 positive patients compared to p16 negative patients (79.6% vs. 42.5%, p<0.001). Concerning 54 patients with p16-positive tumors, the overall survival rates indicated excellent clinical outcomes for stage I, II, and III with results of 100%, 100%, and 88.1%, respectively.

Conclusion: This retrospective study revealed the clinical outcomes of patients with OPSCC treated with radical radiotherapy, emphasizing the significance of p16 status. While acknowledging the limitations of the retrospective nature of this study, future prospective studies with larger cohorts and extended follow-up periods are needed to enhance evidence quality.

Citing Articles

Prediction of Treatment Response Based on Nutritional Status and Tumor Immunity in Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients Treated With Chemoradiotherapy.

Kitagawa M, Kaguchi J, Someya M, Fukushima Y, Hasegawa T, Tsuchiya T Cancer Diagn Progn. 2024; 4(6):789-796.

PMID: 39502617 PMC: 11534058. DOI: 10.21873/cdp.10397.

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