Background. Treatment of recurrent oropharyngeal cancer is widely thought to have poor outcomes. Justification for treatment, especially in advanced cases, can be difficult. Methods. A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases was conducted. Included studies reported specific recurrent oropharyngeal cancer survival data.Results. Twenty-two retrospective studies were included. Pooled 3-year overall survival (OS) was 26% (95% confidence interval [CI] 5 22% to 29%; I squared 5 40.7%; p 5 .057). Pooled 5-year OS was 23% (95% CI 5 20% to 27%; I squared 5 73.9%; p 5 .000). Surgical treatment was superior to radiation (5-year OS 26% vs 16%, respectively; p <