Volume 42, Issue 2 pp. 269-280
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Impact of active smoking on outcomes in HPV+ oropharyngeal cancer

Roy Xiao MD, MS

Roy Xiao MD, MS

Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts

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Yvonne Pham MD

Yvonne Pham MD

Department of Radiation Oncology, Research Medical Center, Therapeutic Radiologists, Inc., Kansas City, Missouri

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Matthew C. Ward MD

Matthew C. Ward MD

Southeast Radiation Oncology Group, Charlotte, North Carolina

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Narcissa Houston MHA

Narcissa Houston MHA

Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

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Chandana A. Reddy MS

Chandana A. Reddy MS

Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

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Nikhil P. Joshi MD

Nikhil P. Joshi MD

Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

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John F. Greskovich Jr MD

John F. Greskovich Jr MD

Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston, Florida

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Neil M. Woody MD

Neil M. Woody MD

Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

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Deborah J. Chute MD

Deborah J. Chute MD

Department of Anatomic Pathology, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

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Eric D. Lamarre MD

Eric D. Lamarre MD

Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

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Brandon L. Prendes MD

Brandon L. Prendes MD

Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

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Robert R. Lorenz MD

Robert R. Lorenz MD

Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

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Joseph Scharpf MD

Joseph Scharpf MD

Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

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Brian B. Burkey MD, MEd

Brian B. Burkey MD, MEd

Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

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Jessica L. Geiger MD

Jessica L. Geiger MD

Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

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David J. Adelstein MD

David J. Adelstein MD

Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

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Shlomo A. Koyfman MD

Corresponding Author

Shlomo A. Koyfman MD

Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

Correspondence

Shlomo A. Koyfman, MD, Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, CA-50, Cleveland, Ohio 44195.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 26 November 2019
Citations: 22
Section Editor: Benjamin Judson

Abstract

Background

The role of smoking among patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is unclear.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of patients with HPV(+) OPSCC from 2001 to 2015 at a tertiary-care institution was conducted. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS).

Results

Among 484 included patients, 94 (19.4%) were active smokers, 226 (46.7%) were former smokers, and 164 (33.9%) never smoked. Among active smokers, 82 patients (87.2%) had a ≥10 pack-year and 69 (73.4%) had a ≥20 pack-year smoking history. After adjusting for covariates, active smoking was a significant predictor of inferior OS (HR 2.28, P < .001) and PFS (HR 2.26, P < .001). When including pack-years as the covariate, ≥20 pack-years predicted a decreased effect-size for inferior OS and PFS.

Conclusions

For patients with HPV(+) OPSCC, active smoking at diagnosis is the most powerful covariate capturing smoking history to predict OS and PFS.

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