Multicenter research into the quality of life of patients with advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma with long-term survival associated with human papilloma virus

Abstract

The treatment of advanced-stage oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma may utilize various modes, including combining surgery with chemoradiotherapy (CTRT), or primary CTRT followed by rescue surgery. In previous literature it has been revealed how patients treated with combined modes report a low quality of life (QoL) and severe consequences following surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, in the short and in the long-term. The decrease in the QoL of patients treated with high-intensity multi-modal strategies highlights the necessity of modifying treatments, particularly for young HPV-positive patients, where an increased survival rate has already been reported. The modified treatment for HPV-positive tumors in the tonsils and at the base of the tongue is based on the deintensification of therapies aiming to reduce toxicity and thereby improve QoL in the long term, whilst still maintaining therapeutic effectiveness. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the QoL in patients with a long-term survival, who were treated with combined therapy for squamous cell tumors in the tonsils and at the base of the tongue, and to compare the results observed in HPV-positive and HPV-negative patients. According to statistical analysis, differences in the general QoL and in the single scales of the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaires were not correlated with the type of therapy selected for the particular patient. QoL considered the presence of HPV, the type of treatment, the subregion of the tonsils vs. the base of the tongue and the disease stage at the time of diagnosis, and was determined to be non-influential with regard to these specific variables.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in patients older than 45 years

“…81.7% of the tumors were AJCC stage II and it is also a high rate compared with previously published studies. 28,32,33 Our data on nodal involvement (15%) was the same as that for Chinese population 24 and low compared with previously reported data. 32,33 15% of the analyzed SCCTs recurred, this rate was higher to that reported in Chinese patients 24 and similar to the proportion found in the Mäkitie et al study.…”

“…As it was previously reported, 27,28,29,30,31 MTSCCs were more frequently found than BTSCC. Compared with previous reports, 27,28,29 this study revealed a lower proportion of BTSCCs, but other studies showed a similar BTSCC rate. 30,31 The mean age of 65.7 years detected in this study, was similar to previously reported data.…”

“…As it was with the whole sample and opposed to data from the literature, 27,28,29,30,31 most of the analyzed MT cases were MDSCC, followed by PDSCCs and the newly included CIS type. In this study, they were more common in females and mean age was 64.6 years.…”

“…30,31 The mean age of 65.7 years detected in this study, was similar to previously reported data. 8,9,10,11,12,20,28,32…”

Papillary squamous cell carcinoma of the palatine tonsil: a rare cancer of the head and neck

“…Jo et al 7 , reviewed 31 PSCCs of the upper aerodigestive tract and reported an identifiable high-risk HPV by in situ hybridisation in 68% of cases. The tumours related to HPV infection seem to have a better prognosis and for this reason, those authors propose reporting HPV status when these tumours are encountered 7 14 15 .…”