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. 2025 Apr 2;13(4):106.
doi: 10.3390/diseases13040106.

Surgery Versus Chemoradiation Therapy for Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multidimensional Cross-Sectional Study

Giuseppe Riva  1 , Dario Gamba  1 , Simone Moglio  1 , Giuseppe Carlo Iorio  2 , Chiara Cavallin  2 , Umberto Ricardi  2 , Mario Airoldi  3 , Andrea Canale  1 , Andrea Albera  1 , Giancarlo Pecorari  1
Affiliations

Surgery Versus Chemoradiation Therapy for Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multidimensional Cross-Sectional Study

Giuseppe Riva et al. Diseases. .

Abstract

Background/objectives: The management of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) often involves multidisciplinary decision-making to optimize patient outcomes. Surgery and chemoradiation therapy (CRT) represent the two main treatment modalities. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to provide a comprehensive analysis of quality of life, speech, swallowing, sleep, psychological distress, and nutritional status in OPSCC patients treated with either surgery or CRT.

Methods: Thirty subjects were divided into two groups based on treatment modality (>12-month follow-up): (A) surgery ± adjuvant treatment (15 patients); (B) exclusive CRT (15 patients). A multidimensional evaluation was performed by means of validated questionnaires. The following parameters were analyzed: quality of life, speech, swallowing, sleep quality, risk of sleep apnea, sleepiness, psychological distress, pain, and nutritional status.

Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the two study groups for every parameter. The EORTC QLQ-C30 globally showed a good quality of life in both groups. Poor sleep quality was observed in 9 (60%) subjects in group A and in 6 (40%) patients in group B, respectively. Low, intermediate and high risk of malnutrition was observed in 73.3%, 20.0% and 6.7% of cases in group A, and in 93.3%, 6.7% and 0.0% in group B, respectively.

Conclusions: Surgery and exclusive chemoradiotherapy appear to yield similar long-term outcomes across all evaluated dimensions, including quality of life, speech, swallowing, sleep, psychological distress, and nutritional status.

Keywords: chemoradiation; oropharyngeal cancer; oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma; psychological distress; quality of life; sleep; surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Multidimensional evaluation of OPSCC patients who underwent surgery (group A) or exclusive CRT (group B): EORTC QLQ-C30, MDADI, SHI. p values were >0.05 for every variable.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Multidimensional evaluation of OPSCC patients who underwent surgery (group A) or exclusive CRT (group B): VAS pain, ESS, PSQI, DT, HADS. p values were >0.05 for every variable.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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