Oropharyngeal cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form in the
tissues of the tonsils, side or back of the throat, soft palate, or back
of the tongue, which is also referred to as the base of the tongue.
Oropharyngeal cancer occurs more commonly in men than women and is
typically diagnosed in patients in their 50s or 60s. Smoking or a
history of exposure to human papillomavirus or HPV can increase the
risk of oropharyngeal cancer. Most oropharyngeal cancers are caused by
HPV. Cancers that were caused by HPV
tend to respond better to treatment. Quitting smoking
can also help patients respond better to treatment. Radiation, surgery
and chemotherapy can be used in different combinations for treatment
of oropharyngeal cancer.
Radiation is a common treatment for oropharyngeal cancer
that uses high energy X-rays to kill cancer cells.
Radiation is delivered with a machine located outside the body to send
radiation toward the cancer.
First, a planning session called a simulation is done to make a face
mask and obtain pictures of the size and shape of the tumor.
Then, during treatment, thin beams of radiation of different
intensities or strengths are aimed at the tumor from many angles.
Surgery or removing the cancer in an operation is another common
treatment for oropharyngeal cancer.
A surgeon may remove the cancer and some of the healthy tissue around
the cancer.
Trans oral surgery may be used to remove cancer from hard to reach
areas of the mouth and throat.
Trans oral surgery is performed through the mouth and does not require
incisions on the face.
Sometimes the surgery is performed robotically.
A neck dissection will also be performed, which is surgical removal of
lymph nodes and other tissues in the neck through an incision on the
side of the neck.
Chemotherapy may be added to treatment depending on how advanced the
cancer is. Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs injected
in a vein to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the
cells or by stopping them from dividing.
Chemotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer is different than chemotherapy
used for other cancers. Side effects are less
common with this chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy for
other types of cancer.
For oropharyngeal cancer, chemotherapy is added to make the radiation
therapy work better. Treatment for oropharyngeal cancer can be
radiation based or surgery based. In radiation
based therapy, radiation can be given alone or in combination with
chemotherapy.
In surgery based therapy.
The cancer is removed and examined under a microscope. Based on the
characteristics of the cancer, patients may be given additional
treatment consisting of radiation
with or without chemotherapy. The dose of radiation given after surgery
is generally lower than if treatment was radiation
based. Treatments that are radiation based and surgery based have
similar results in terms of cancer cure, survival, and recurrence.
Both treatments are considered standard of care.
However, not everyone is eligible for both treatments.