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• In a retrospective, multicenter cohort of 345 patients aged ≥70 undergoing primary surgery for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tonsil or base of tongue (BOT), p16 positivity (a surrogate for HPV-associated disease) was associated with a 5‑year overall survival (OS) of 71.4% versus 47.7% for p16‑negative tumors (absolute difference 23.7%; adjusted HR for OS 0.36).
• Disease‑free survival (DFS) benefits paralleled OS: 5‑year DFS 66.4% for p16‑positive versus 40.8% for p16‑negative tumors (absolute difference 25.6%; adjusted HR for DFS 0.42).
