Adjuvant radiotherapy for patients with clinical T3-4 oral and oropharyngeal cancer who achieved major pathologic response after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy and surgery: a propensity score-matched retrospective study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy results in high pathologic response rates in locally advanced oral and oropharyngeal cancer (OC/OPC). It is unclear if patients with clinical T3-4 (cT3-4) OC/OPC at initial diagnosis can safely omit adjuvant radiotherapy (ART) after significant pathological downstaging.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included cT3-4 OC/OPC patients who achieved a major pathologic response (MPR) after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy between July 2019 and May 2024. Patients were categorized by whether they received ART. Propensity score matching was used to balance baseline characteristics. Local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and over

SUBMITTER: Li M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12864408 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature