Treatment advances in the management of oropharyngeal carcinoma: from minimally invasive surgery to target radiotherapy

The oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma showed a remarkably growing incidence in the last years. At the same time, the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection emerged as a major etiologic and positive prognostic factor. New treatment advances consisting of minimally invasive transoral surgery and target radiotherapy have been powerfully introduced in the clinical practice to reduce treatment morbidity. In this context, several de-escalation trials have been proposed to reduce acute and chronic treatment related morbidity, while maintaining the enhanced survival of HPV-positive tumors. The aim of this paper is to summarize the current literature evidence on oropharyngeal cancer management with particular focus on new treatment advances and protocols.