A Prospective Trial of Biomarker-Guided Surveillance for HPV-Positive Oropharynx Cancer Using Plasma Tumor Tissue-Modified Viral HPV DNA.

Purpose: Observational studies suggest circulating tumor human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA may facilitate early detection of recurrent HPV-positive oropharynx cancer. We prospectively investigated whether biomarker-guided surveillance detects recurrence earlier than the standard-of-care methods.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled patients evaluated for HPV-positive oropharynx cancer at a single center from November, 2020, to April, 2023, undergoing curative-intent treatment in a single-arm cohort study.