ctHPVDNA monitoring for HPV-related head and neck cancer

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K16888
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56050:Otorhinolaryngology-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Tanaka Hidenori 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 特任講師(常勤) (00804379)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: Liquid biopsy / Oropharyngeal cancer / cfDNA

Outline of Final Research Achievements

PET-CT and ctHPVDNA were compared in 35 cases in the response evaluation after radiotherapy. Although the negative predictive values were comparable, ctHPVDNA was found to have a superior positive predictive value.
Analysis of ctHPVDNA kinetics during radiotherapy in 22 cases revealed that the clearance pattern of ctHPVDNA could be classified into rapid and slow types. Furthermore, all cases with residual diseases were of the slow type.

Free Research Field

耳鼻咽喉科・頭頸部外科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ctHPVDNA検査はPET-CTと同等の診断精度を有する可能性が示唆された。本検査は少量の採血から検査できることで低侵襲な検査法として期待される。また、放射線治療中のctHPVDNAのクリアランスパターンを解析することで、より適切な線量の放射線治療を行える可能性がある。これはctHPVDNAが精密医療や低侵襲治療における重要なバイオマーカーとなる可能性を示唆している。