ESMO 2023 | Circulating tumor HPV-DNA as a prognostic marker for patients with oropharyngeal cancer

Ari Rosenberg, MD, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, discusses a Phase I study (NCT04572100) assessing the validity of utilizing cell-free HPV-DNA (cfHPV-DNA) to determine prognosis in patients with oropharyngeal cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. High-risk (HR) patients (T4, N3, or ≥20 pack-year smoking history) received standard treatment, while low-risk (LR) patients received de-escalated treatment if they had a ≥50% response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The study found that clearance of cfHPV-DNA after two cycles of chemotherapy was associated with a favorable prognosis. Post-treatment detection of cfHPV-DNA accurately predicted recurrence, with a 100% sensitivity and an 80% positive predictive value.Dr Rosenberg elaborates on the high predictive power of this biomarker, facilitating the adjustment of treatments to suit a patient’s disease profile. Longer follow-up is planned to confirm these findings. This interview took place at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2023 Congress in Madrid, Spain.

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