MD Anderson researchers propose new staging for HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer

(University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center) Human papillomavirus (HPV) status is a strong predictor of prognosis for patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC), but the current staging system does not adequately account for biological and clinical differences between HPV-positive OPC and HPV-negative OPC, commonly caused by alcohol and tobacco use.