20th June 2023

Oropharynx

The commonest sites for malignancies within the oropharynx are the tonsil and tongue base. Initial presenting symptoms of oropharyngeal cancers are often vague and non-specific; consequently, the majority of patients who present often have locally advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a prognostic marker and tumour HPV positivity is associated with substantially higher cure rates and improved survival. As with all head and neck tumours, management decisions should be made in a multidisciplinary meeting depending on the stage of the disease and the patient’s factors. Surgery and radiotherapy produce similar cure rates. As excision of the base of the tongue generally causes greater disability and because of the high risk for bilateral lymphatic involvement, radiotherapy, or chemoradiotherapy, is usually the treatment of choice.