Impact of AJCC 8th edition staging system and definitive treatment choice on the prognosis of complete responders with p16+ and p16- oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas.

Objectives: To identify predictors of overall survival (OS) in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients who achieved complete response (CR).
Methods: We performed a retrospective study of OPSCC patients who achieved CR from a single academic medical center. Associations between OS, AJCC 8th edition staging system, definitive treatment choice, smoking history, and p16 status were assessed.
Results: p16+ status was associated with favorable prognosis for CR (p < 0.001) but not non-CR (p = 0.67) patients. For early stage, p16+ OPSCC patients who achieved CR, surgery + adjuvant radiation (RT) treatment was more durable compared to concurrent chemoradiation (CRT), particularly in smokers.
Conclusions: Curative intent treatment choice and smoking history has an impact on the long-term OS of the CR p16+ OPSCC cohort. Prospective studies to define the optimal multi-modality treatment option to manage p16+ OPSCC patients is needed.
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