Background: We investigated the survival of patients with a p16-positive N3 oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) and the prognostic significance of patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients treated at our Cancer Center for a p16-positive N3 OPSCC between 2003 and 2016. End points were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
Results: A total of 29 patients were included. The 5-year OS and PFS were 67.5% and 59.1%, respectively. Smoking history above 10 pack-years and the absence of human papillomavirus DNA were associated with worse OS (P = .02 and P = .03, respectively) and PFS (P = .02 and P = .02, respectively). Induction chemotherapy or radical neck dissection were not associated with different treatment outcomes.
Conclusion: Patients with an N3 p16-positive oropharyngeal cancer in our series had a 5-year OS rate of 67.5%. Smoking history and viral DNA were prognostic factors associated with survival.
Keywords: N3; human papillomavirus; oropharyngeal neoplasms; p16 immunohistochemistry; smoking history.
© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.