Incidence of pain complaints in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of throat pain and otalgia as presenting symptoms in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) stratified by the cancer being their first or recurrent/second primary head and neck cancer (fHNC or rsHNC).

A retrospective analysis of patients operated on for OPSCC was performed. The primary predictor variable was HNC instance (fHNC/rsHNC) with outcome variables of throat pain and/or otalgia. Chi-square analysis was performed to test for significant associations between HNC instance and pain variables. Unadjusted odds ratios were calculated.

Eighty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria. Patients with OPSCC as an rsHNC had 4.67 times higher odds of throat pain (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45-15.06) than those with OPSCC as an fHNC and had 20.22 times higher odds of simultaneous throat pain and otalgia (95% CI, 4.76-85.97) than those presenting with an fHNC. Current smoking status and human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative disease were also significantly predictive of rsHNC. HPV-negative disease was also predictive of pain.

In addition to the known associations of smoking and HPV status on recurrence and pain, there is a statistically significant association between cancer instance and pain in patients presenting with newly diagnosed, operable OPSCC.