Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40643202›Full record

ArticleCancer research communications2025

Plasma Cell-Free Human Papillomavirus DNA and Oral Gargle HPV DNA in Patients with HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Cancer Treated with Radiotherapy.

Michelle Echevarria, Robin Park, Jimmy J Caudell, Youngchul Kim, George Q Yang, Kedar Kirtane, Ritu Chaudhary, Sunil Kumar, Antonio L Amelio, Anna R Giuliano and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer research communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Michelle EchevarriaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida.ORCID 0000-0002-5141-5295
Robin ParkDepartment of Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida.ORCID 0000-0002-3004-3285
Jimmy J CaudellDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida.ORCID 0000-0001-6417-2483
Youngchul KimDepartment of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida.ORCID 0000-0002-2307-0330
George Q YangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida.ORCID 0000-0003-4745-2592
Kedar KirtaneDepartment of Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida.ORCID 0000-0003-1302-9577
Ritu ChaudharyDepartment of Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida.ORCID 0009-0007-9417-0340
Sunil KumarNaveris, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts.ORCID 0000-0002-6282-0640
Antonio L AmelioDepartment of Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida.ORCID 0000-0002-6295-2694
Anna R GiulianoDepartment of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida.ORCID 0000-0002-5440-8859
Christine H ChungDepartment of Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida.ORCID 0000-0001-5199-4306

Funding

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCHP30CA076292 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA · PI John L. Cleveland · 1998 to 2026
$93.5M
Biomarker Approach to Screening for the early detection of HPV-related Oropharyngeal Cancer (BASH OPC)U01DE033329 · NIDCR · H. LEE MOFFITT CANCER CTR & RES INST · PI Antonio Luigi Amelio, Anna R. Giuliano · 2023 to 2026
$2.9M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA076292NIDCR NIH HHS U01 DE033329
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Dynamic biomarkers that guide de-escalation strategies in human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) remain an unmet need. In this study, we evaluated the kinetics of plasma cell-free HPV (cfHPV) DNA and oral gargle HPV DNA during radiotherapy in patients with low-risk HPV-related OPSCC. Data were obtained from a trial evaluating an adaptive model optimizing radiation fractionation in patients with low-risk (T0-2N0-1M0) HPV-related OPSCC undergoing radiotherapy. The primary objective was to determine whether week 4 plasma cfHPV DNA or oral gargle HPV DNA clearance is associated with reduction of target tumor volume (TTV) at week 4. A total of 325 plasma and 334 oral gargle samples from 50 patients with available baseline samples were analyzed. Higher baseline plasma cfHPV DNA was associated with higher nodal staging (P = 0.002), whereas oral gargle HPV DNA was detected more frequently in the tonsil or soft palate than occult or base of tongue primary tumors (P = 0.039). Week 4 plasma but not oral gargle HPV DNA clearance was associated with higher reduction of TTV at week 4 (P = 0.0063). Whereas week 4 plasma and oral gargle HPV DNA clearance was not associated with progression-free survival, a lower baseline plasma cfHPV DNA was associated with superior progression-free survival (P = 0.027). Week 4 plasma cfHPV DNA clearance aligns with reduction in TTV, and future studies are warranted to determine the role of early plasma cfHPV DNA clearance in biomarker-adapted de-escalation strategies. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings may inform appropriate patient selection for low-risk HPV-related OPSCC based on cfHPV DNA in future deintensification studies, aimed at preventing or minimizing treatment-related toxicities in patients who may have lower risk of recurrence.

Indexed as

Cell-Free Nucleic AcidsDNA, ViralOropharyngeal NeoplasmsPapillomaviridaePapillomavirus InfectionsSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckAdultAgedFemaleHuman Papillomavirus VirusesHumansMaleMiddle AgedCell-Free Nucleic AcidsDNA, Viral

Identifiers

PMID40643202
PMCPMC12281097

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.