title: Clinical outcomes in elderly patients with human papillomavirus-positive squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx treated with definitive chemoradiation therapy.
abstract: The benefit of combined chemoradiation in elderly patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive locally advanced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) must be balanced with the potential for higher toxicity rates. We performed a retrospective review of our institutional experience.
  
  
  
  Patients 70 years or older with p16-positive oropharyngeal SCC treated with definitive chemoradiation from 2005 to 2013 were evaluated. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and locoregional failure-free survival were calculated.
  
  
  
  Twenty-one eligible patients had a follow-up of 22.4 months. Estimated 5-year OS, DFS, and locoregional failure-free survival were 76.0%, 40%, and 95%, respectively. There was 1 death from acute toxicity, and 50% had unplanned hospitalizations. Sixty percent had late toxicity, and 6-month feeding tube dependence was 25%.
  
  
  
  Elderly patients with HPV-positive locally advanced SCC of the oropharynx treated with definitive chemoradiation had good OS but high rates of acute and long-term toxicity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: 846-851, 2015.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.|Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Sheela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hanasoge
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Kelly R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Magliocca
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.|Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Switchenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.|Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Nabil F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: J Trad
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Wadsworth
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: El-Deiry
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.|Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Dong M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.|Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Fadlo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khuri
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.|Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Jonathan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Beitler
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.|Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Kristin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Higgins
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: chemoradiation; elderly; human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+); oropharyngeal cancer