Carcinomas of the Oropharynx and Nasopharynx

The dataset has been developed for the reporting of resection and biopsy specimens of the oropharynx and nasopharynx. For resections of recurrent disease, the reporting guide may be used pragmatically although some data elements may be not applicable nor assessable. The protocol applies to all primary carcinomas (including of minor salivary glands) of the nasopharynx and oropharynx, the latter including the base of tongue, tonsils, tonsillar fossa, tonsillar pillars, soft palate, posterior and lateral walls, and uvula. Although rare, neuroendocrine tumours (NET) and neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) are also included. It does not apply to recurrent disease but may be used for residual disease after prior therapy (see below). Lymphomas, sarcomas, and mucosal melanomas are not included. Malignancies arising at other sites in the head and neck region, and neck dissections and nodal excisions are dealt with in separate datasets which may be used, as appropriate, in conjunction with this dataset.

When a biopsy specimen is the only specimen ever received, elements specific to the biopsy should be reported, recognising elements applicable to surgically resected tumours cannot be reliably completed. Although multiple synchronous and metachronous primary oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) are uncommon and are usually of the same high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) type, there is no data to suggest that they are not simply separate primary tumours. Thus, for oropharyngeal carcinomas, each distinct focus should be considered a separate primary tumour, and should receive its own separate dataset. However, for nasopharyngeal tumours, even if the tumour appears to be multifocal clinically and pathologically, these are regarded and treated as a single primary.