SynthesisThe Laryngoscope2026
ctDNA to Predict Treatment Response in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in The Laryngoscope, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- ctDNA to Predict Treatment Response in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review.The Laryngoscope · 2026Pooled it
- Detection of recurrence of HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer by HPV cell-free DNA.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- The role of liquid biopsy in the molecular characterization of HPV-related cancers.Folia microbiologica · 2026Review
- Supersensitive and robust disease monitoring in oropharyngeal cancer patients by circulating tumor HPV-DNA sequencing (ctHPV-DNAseq).Translational oncology · 2026Article
- Liquid Biopsies in HNSCC: Current Landscape and Emerging Opportunities in the Era of HPV Stratification.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Immune biomarkers for head and neck cancer.Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo investigate the potential role of plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in predicting treatment response in HPV-positive and HPV-negative Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). DATA SOURCES: Medline, PubMed, Cochrane databases (Cochrane Library, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) and EMBASE databases were searched in accordance with the standard PICOTS model. REVIEW
methodsSearch results were independently reviewed by two primary authors. Disagreements were adjudicated by the senior author. Studies were excluded according to defined exclusion criteria. Studies were assessed for quality in accordance with the REMARK guidelines. Data were then extracted, and findings were discussed narratively.
resultsFrom a total of 1026 articles initially retrieved, 18 papers were included in the final review. Study quality was suboptimal, with a median REMARK score of 12.65/20. Short follow-up (median 24.5 months) and modest cohort sizes (median 59 patients) were observed. Most studies (13/18) investigated HPV ctDNA alone, and ctDNA detection methods varied considerably between studies. Broadly, studies showed that ctDNA monitoring has a high negative predictive value (91.7%) for residual and recurrent disease. Persistently positive ctDNA corresponded with poorer outcomes overall, but there was variability in the positive predictive value between studies, which was mitigated by consecutive testing.
conclusionThese results suggest there is potential for ctDNA utility in surveillance for both HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC patients; however, better adherence to reporting guidelines will enable meta-analysis.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.