The role of surgery in the management of recurrent oropharyngeal cancer

Abstract

The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) continues to rise worldwide at a dramatic pace, buoyed by the predominance of human papilloma virus (HPV) driven disease (Panwar et al. 2014). While the outcomes of patients with HPV-positive OPSCC are dramatically improved compared to HPV-negative OPSCC, treatment failures do occur. The result is an inevitable rise in the incidence of recurrent OPSCC. Since the majority of incident OPSCC cases are treated with some form of radiation therapy (primary or adjuvant), surgery remains the backbone of treatment for recurrent OPSCC. This section will focus on options for surgical management of recurrent OPSCC.