TY - JOUR AU - Clair, Jon Mallen-St AU - Ho, Allen S. PY - 2019 TI - American Joint Committee on Cancer 8 th edition staging—an improvement in prognostication in HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer? JF - Annals of Translational Medicine; Vol 7, Supplement 1 (March 27, 2019): Annals of Translational Medicine Y2 - 2019 KW - N2 - Updates to the TNM staging system are needed in instances when clinical outcomes improve or patient demographics change. Since 1990, the incidence of HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has increased at a rate of 5% per year (1,2). These patients are distinct from HPV negative OPSCC counterparts as the demographic is younger, healthier, with less exposure to tobacco (1). Furthermore, patients with HPV-associated OPSCC have a disease that is highly responsive to treatment and portends a favorable prognosis (3). Given the dramatically improved survival of patients with HPV-associated OPSCC, it became clear that the seventh edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC 7 th ed) staging system was no longer accurate in predicting outcomes in this patient population (4). UR - https://atm.amegroups.org/article/view/23616