Pursuing Molecular Biomarkers to Guide Adjuvant Therapy for HPV+ Head and Neck Cancers After Transoral Robotic Surgery

Human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (HPV+ OPSCCs) represent a distinct subset of head and neck cancers that are rapidly increasing in incidence. Despite the generally favorable prognosis of HPV+ OPSCCs, compared to HPV-negative counterparts, due to higher treatment responsiveness and improved survival, a subset of patients experiences disease recurrence, leading to poor clinical outcomes. The identification of high-risk patients through molecular stratification could enable personalized therapeutic strategies, including intensified treatment or novel interventions. This study focuses on the molecular profiling of treatment-naïve primary HPV+ OPSCCs, aiming to identify molecular characteristics associated with tumor recurrence. In this study, we compared molecular profiles of primary tumors that recurred with those of non-recurrent control tumors to uncover key molecular features linked to recurrence.]]>