Cancer of the oropharynx

David A Clump; Julie E Bauman; Robert L Ferris

doi:10.1016/j.soc.2015.03.014

Cancer of the oropharynx

Surg Oncol Clin N Am. 2015 Jul;24(3):509-20. doi: 10.1016/j.soc.2015.03.014. Epub 2015 Apr 15.

Authors

David A Clump¹, Julie E Bauman², Robert L Ferris³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, 5150 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA.
² Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, 5150 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA.
³ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, 5150 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA; Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Eye and Ear Institute, Suite 500, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. Electronic address: ferrrl@upmc.edu.

PMID: 25979397
DOI: 10.1016/j.soc.2015.03.014

Abstract

The oropharynx has a crucial role in swallowing because of the surrounding constrictor musculature, need for mobility and pliability, and proximity of the base of tongue to the larynx. Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection as a cause of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has increased dramatically in proportion and overall numbers of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma cases. Better clinical response to therapy and younger age of the HPV+ oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients have caused functional and quality-of-life considerations to become more important endpoints in evaluating efficacy of therapeutic options; "deintensification" to ameliorate toxicity is under investigation for this population.

Keywords: Chemoradiation; Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; Human papillomavirus; Oropharynx; Pathogenesis; Transoral surgery.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / etiology*
Humans
Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / etiology*
Papillomaviridae / isolation & purification
Papillomavirus Infections / complications*
Papillomavirus Infections / virology
Prognosis
Risk Factors