Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Chromogenic In Situ Hybridization as a Tool for HPV-Related Head and Neck Cancer Diagnosis
Published on: June 14, 2019
Circulating HPVDNA in patients undergoing transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer: liquid biopsy could
Flaminia Campo1, Francesca Paolini2,3, Irene Terrenato4
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri (IFO), Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy. flaminiacampo@gmail.com.
Objectives:
we evaluated the hypothesis that level of ctHPVDNA on the first postoperative day (POD-1); and at 15 days (POD-15) could be associated with the need for adjuvant therapy and the presence of recurrence.
Materials And Methods:
this is a prospective observational study on biomarkers, focusing on the longitudinal monitoring of ctHPVDNA in a cohort of HPV-OPSCC patients undergoing TORS. Blood samples were collected according to the following schema: (1) pretreatment; (2) on first postoperative day (POD 1); and (3) at 15 days (POD 15). Plasma samples were analyzed with ddPCR assay comprising E6 of HPV16, HPV 33 and HPV 35.
Results:
Present study was conducted on 44 OPSCC patients and revealed a ctHPVDNA sensitivity of 100% (95%CI: 89-100%) in blood samples at first diagnosis. Data demonstrated a significant different of ctHPVDNA levels at POD-1 among patients who received observation vs. adjuvant treatment and among patients who remained disease-free at the last follow-up, compared to those who experienced recurrence. In the next years, studies on larger patients' surgical cohorts focused on ctHPVDNA levels at POD-1 and continued improvements in assay methodology could allow the implementation of ctHPVDNA in routine clinical use.
Conclusion:
Liquid biopsy could identify residual molecular disease after surgery and guide clinicians choosing adjuvant treatment.
