Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41603566›Full record

ArticleOtolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery2026

Does Smoking Influence Outcomes in Human Papillomavirus-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer Treated with Transoral Robotic Surgery?

Jane Y Tong, Vera Bzhilyanskaya, Jason K Molitoris, Matthew J Ferris, Ranee Mehra, Kelly Moyer, Jeffrey Wolf, Rodney Taylor, Kyle M Hatten

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Article in Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jane Y TongDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9068-5570
Vera BzhilyanskayaDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Jason K MolitorisDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Matthew J FerrisDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Ranee MehraDepartment of Medical Oncology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Kelly MoyerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Jeffrey WolfDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Rodney TaylorDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Kyle M HattenDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Funding

none
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveSmoking has been identified as a risk factor for recurrence in HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) treated with definitive chemoradiation. Whether the same prognostic significance holds with surgical treatment such as transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is less well studied. STUDY

designRetrospective review.

settingTertiary care academic center.

methodsPatients with HPV-associated OPSCC treated with TORS from January 2016 to December 2023 were included. Demographics, smoking history, disease characteristics, treatment, and oncologic outcomes were collected.

results156 patients were included. 87.2% were male with median age 60.0 years. Seventy-seven were never smokers, 63 former smokers, and 16 current smokers, with a median 20 pack-years among ever smokers. Three local, 6 regional, and ten distant metastases were identified, with 6 deaths, over a median 2.2 years of follow up. When comparing never, former, and current smokers, ever smokers demonstrated more advanced pathologic nodal staging (P = .03) and extranodal extension (P = .05). When comparing never and ever smokers, never smokers were younger (P = .04), and primary site differed with borderline significance (P = .05). Ever smokers again had more advanced nodal stage (P = .01) and extranodal extension (P = .02). There were no significant differences in adjuvant treatment, disease recurrence, or death by smoking history. There were no significant differences apart from age when analyzed using a 10 or 20-pack-year smoking history cutoff (P = .01, P = .02).

conclusionSmoking history is associated with more advanced nodal stage and extranodal extension. However, smoking does not appear to influence recurrence or death in the setting of HPV-associated OPSCC definitively treated with TORS.

Indexed as

Human Papillomavirus VirusesOropharyngeal NeoplasmsPapillomavirus InfectionsRobotic Surgical ProceduresSmokingSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalNeoplasm StagingRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsTreatment OutcomeHPVoropharyngeal canceroutcomessmokingTORS

Identifiers

PMID41603566
PMCPMC13035017

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.