Unilateral radiotherapy treatment for p16/human papillomavirus–positive squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary in the head and neck

Abstract

Objectives/Hypothesis: The outcomes of unilateral radiotherapy treatment for patients with p16/HPV-positive squamous cell carcinomas of unknown primary (SCCUP) affecting cervical lymph nodes are under-reported. Compared to radiating large volumes of the pharyngeal axis (the more common approach), this is potentially a much less toxic treatment for a good prognosis group. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: We identified patients with SCCUP who were treated radically at our center and did not have parotid or isolated level IV or V nodal involvement. Failure-free and overall survivals were calculated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Results: From 2004 to 2012, there were 49 radically..