Primary definitive chemoradiotherapy versus upfront surgery for advanced-stage OPSCC

A retrospective study in Taiwan compared primary definitive chemoradiotherapy versus upfront surgery for advanced-stage OPSCC. In unadjusted analyses the overall survival was better after upfront surgery than after primary definitive CRT, but this association became nonsignificant after adjustment for age, subsite, histological grade, and T and N classification (p=0.70). Progression-free survival was worse in the group receiving upfront surgery than in the group receiving CRT, and this difference persisted after adjustment (HR 1.72; p=0.01).