Fellowship Director - Head and Neck Surgery and Microsurgery Head and Neck Surgical Associates / Providence Cancer Institute Portland, Oregon
Oropharyngeal cancer rates have steadily risen both in the U.S. and worldwide despite relatively stable rates of head and neck cancers. In the U.S., as less Americans use tobacco, the majority of this can be attributed to the evolving Human Papillomavirus (HPV) epidemic. HPV+ and HPV- oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) pose unique challenges to patients and oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Though completely different diseases, HPV+ and HPV-OPSCC have historically been treated the same. The evolving body of evidence now suggests that treatment of each of these entities is unique. The roles of open versus robotic surgery, primary chemoradiotherapy versus adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, immunotherapy and de-escalated therapy will be compared and contrasted in this session with a focus on oncologic outcomes and functional recovery. Given the rapid evolution and changes in this discipline, the current data as well as early clinical trial data for novel therapies for OPSCC will be examined to highlight contemporary and comprehensive management of patients afflicted with this disease.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this presentation, participants should be able to:
Describe and stage oropharyngeal cancers based on HPV status, and understand the biological and clinical differences between these two diseases.
Describe the clinical workup for patients with known or suspected oropharyngeal cancer.
Formulate a plan for the treatment of patients with oropharynx cancer within the context of NCCN guidelines and clearly define the roles of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Examine the most recent data and clinical trial results in the context of robotic surgery, de-escalated therapy, immunotherapy and personalized novel therapies in respect to oropharyngeal cancer.
Describe the various surgical considerations in treating patients with oropharyngeal cancer.