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Updated: Nov 12, 2025
Intramucosal Inoculation of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells in Mice for Tumor Immune Profiling and Treatment Response Assessment
Published on: April 22, 2019
Characterizing distant metastases and survival in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
Faiez K Saiyed1, Theresa Guo2, Faye Johnson3,4
1Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Background:
Outcomes of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) after development of distant metastases (DM) in the context of human papillomavirus (HPV) tumor status remain controversial in the literature.
Methods:
OPSCC patients with DM treated between June 2015 and March 2019 were included from a prospectively enrolled database. Characteristics of DM including sites, episodes, and timing of disease were analyzed in addition to survival after DM.
Results:
Sixty-nine HPV-positive and 18 HPV-negative OPSCC patients with DM were included. The 2-year survival after DM was higher for HPV-positive patients (54.0% vs. 11.3%, p < 0.001). HPV-positive patients did not demonstrate greater episodes or sites of DM. Multiple sites of DM, early development of DM, and Charlson comorbidity Index were independently associated with worse survival after DM.
Conclusions:
While multiple sites, early DM, and comorbidities were poor prognostic factors, OPSCC patients with distant progression can have substantial survival after DM, including M1 patients.
