The importance of smoking status at diagnosis in human papillomavirus‐associated oropharyngeal cancer

Background Smoking status at point of diagnosis is not used in defining risk groups for human papillomavirus (HPV)‐associated oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) despite its prognostic value in head and neck cancer. Methods Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients treated with chemoradiotherapy between January 2005 and July 2017 was performed with multivariable analysis to explore the impact of smoking status at diagnosis (current/former/never) on overall survival (OS), cancer‐specific survival (CSS) and progression‐free survival (PFS). Results Median follow‐up was 61 months. Four hundred and four patients were included. Current smokers had inferior OS versus never and former smokers [adjusted HR 2.37 (95% CI 1.26–4.45, p