Oncologic outcomes of surgically treated early‐stage oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Background The purpose of this study was to characterize oncologic outcomes in early (T1–T2, N0) and intermediate (T1–T2, N1) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) after surgery. Methods Patients with oropharyngeal SCC treated with surgery were identified from 2 academic institutions. Results Of 188 patients, 143 met the inclusion criteria. Eighty‐six (60%) had T1 to T2 N0 and 57 (40%) had T1 to T2 N1 disease. Sixty‐five patients (45%) underwent a robotic‐assisted resection, whereas the remaining had transoral ( n = 60; 42%), mandible‐splitting ( n = 11; 8%), or transhyoid approaches ( n = 7; 5%). Human papillomavirus (HPV) status was known for 97 patients (68%), and 54 (55%) were HPV positive. Three‐year recurrence‐free survival (RFS) was 82% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.75–0.89). Since 2008, HPV infection was protective of recurrence (log‐rank p = .0334). A single node did not increase the risk of recurrence ( p = .467) or chance of a second primary ( p = .175). Conclusion Complete surgical resection is effective therapy for early and intermediate oropharyngeal SCC. HPV‐negative patients were at increased risk for locoregional recurrence or second primary disease. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: First–1471, 2016