Inclusion Criteria:

- Patients must be diagnosed with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) that are
surgical candidates

- Macroscopic resection of the tumor via TORS must be planned with curative intent

- Patient must be willing to remain on corticosteroid therapy for 4 days
postoperatively

- Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document

Exclusion Criteria:

- Patients with known distant metastases or other malignancies

- Patients with a history of allergy or adverse reaction to corticosteroids

- Patients with a history of diabetes

- Patients with fasting capillary blood glucose of > 140 on the day of surgery

- Patients on chronic corticosteroids

- Chronic alcohol abuse (> 6 alcoholic beverages daily)

- Patients with a history of severe chronic pain on high dose narcotics (> 25 mg of
oxycodone or equivalent daily) preceding diagnosis of cancer

- Patients taking significant cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitors or inducers, i.e.
protease inhibitors (ritonavir, nelfinavir, etc), clarithromycin, ketoconazole,
fluconazole, verapamil, diltiazem, carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, Rifampin,
efavirenz, nevirapine

- Patients who have received any investigational medication within 6 weeks of
enrollment, or who are scheduled to receive an investigational drug during the course
of the study

- Psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study
requirements

- Excluded patients will be allowed to participate in the trial on an observational
basis only