Stages of Oropharyngeal Cancer

When cancer is found in the oropharynx, your doctor will study it to assess its stage. Factors that determine the stage include the size of the tumor, whether lymph nodes in the head and neck are involved with cancer, and whether cancer has spread to other parts of the body.  The majority of oropharynx cancers are squamous cell carcinomas; cancers related to HPV and those unrelated to HPV are considered separately.

Staging the cancer helps your doctor tailor a treatment plan.