Recommendations for determining HPV status in patients with oropharyngeal cancers under TNM8 guidelines: a two-tier approach

Given the significantly poorer survival of p16+/HPV- OPSCCs, these data provide compelling evidence for use of an HPV-specific test for staging classification. This has particular relevance in light of potential treatment de-escalation that could expose these patients to inappropriately reduced treatment intensity as treatment algorithms evolve.