Dexamethasone in Reducing Oral Pain and Dry Mouth After Surgery in Patients With Oropharyngeal Cancer

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 family 3, subfamily A, polypeptide 4 (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 * Patients who will undergo complex head and neck surgery in addition to the TORS procedure requiring reconstruction with a free flap * Patients who have had any previous head and neck surgery that has affected swallowing, voice or speech or who have had previous radiation to the head or neck * Patients who have any confounding medical or neurological conditions that have the potential to affect cognition, speech or swallowing function; i.e. stroke, neurodegenerative disease, neuromuscular movement disorders, head injury, etcetera * 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