Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: treatment (de-) intensification?

As opposed to the majority of head and neck malignancies, the incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has seen a remarkable growth in the last decades. The rising of human papilloma virus (HPV) as a major determining factor in OPSCC contributed not only to a rapid increase in incidence of this type of cancer, but also to a sudden change in many of its epidemiologic, clinical and prognostic characteristics. The most relevant difference between HPV-positive and -negative OPSCC is the improved prognosis, with HPV-positive patients showing a significantly higher 5-year overall survival (OS) (70–80 % vs 30–40 %