Influence of p16 status on indication and outcome of salvage neck dissection in oropharyngeal cancer

Human papillomavirus (HPV)+ and HPV- oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) are separate tumor entities.The aim of this study was to examine if the p16 status influences the need and outcome of a salvage neck dissection (SND) after primary radiochemotherapy (pRCT).Retrospective study of 164 patients (Of the 56 p16+ patients, 17 (30.4%) patients were given an indication for a SND after pRCT with 4 (23.5%) patients showing persistent malignant nodes. Of the 108 p16- patients, 24 (22.2%) patients underwent a SND with 8 (33.3%) patients showing persistent malignant nodes. There was no significant association of the p16 status and neither the indication for SND (p(ChiThere was neither a significant association between the p16 status and the indication for a SND nor for persistent malignant nodal disease after pRCT.