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Head and Neck Surgery

Survivorship for HPV+ Cancer Patients: A Population Requiring Personalized Care

Wednesday, October 4, 2023
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM East Coast USA Time
Location: Ballroom C2

    Panelist(s)

  • Catherine T. Haring, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Ohio State University Medical Center
    Columbus, OH, United States

  • Molly E. Heft Neal, MD

    Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery
    University of Michigan
    Ann Arbor, MI, United States

    • Moderator(s)

  • Marisa R. Buchakjian, MD, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    University of Iowa, Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction
    Iowa City, Iowa, United States

    • Panelist(s)

  • Apoorva T. Ramaswamy, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio - James Cancer Center at Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
    Columbus, OH, United States

Disclosure(s):
Catherine T. Haring, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Molly E. Heft Neal, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Marisa R. Buchakjian, MD, PhD: No relevant relationships to disclose.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: There is an increasing incidence of head and neck cancer related to human papillomavirus (HPV). Patients with HPV mediated head and neck cancer tend to be younger and healthier than other head and neck cancer patients and have excellent survival outcomes. As such, there is a growing population of HPV positive cancer survivors. Current head and neck survivorship care guidelines include surveillance for cancer recurrence, early detection of second primary cancers, and management of late effects of treatment. These survivorship guidelines do not currently account for HPV status, which is associated with different epidemiology and patterns of recurrence. Furthermore, these patients’ younger age at time of diagnosis combined with improved oncologic outcomes result in increased need to address long term quality of life challenges. In this panel, we will review the unique needs of HPV positive patients during the post-treatment surveillance period. This will include a discussion of the different patterns of recurrence seen in this population, including late recurrences and metastases to rarer organs, as well as opportunities for salvage treatment. We will discuss emerging biomarkers that can be used for surveillance, early detection of recurrence, and how these assays might affect survival outcomes and quality of life. Finally, we will review assessment and management of late effects of treatment including hypothyroidism, dysphagia, velopharyngeal dysfunction, trismus and osteoradionecrosis.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 1: Recognize the unique needs of HPV positive patients during cancer survivorship.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 2: Examine the utility of novel biomarkers in the early detection of recurrence and survivorship in HPV positive cancer patients.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 3: Propose patient-specific survivorship guidelines for patients with HPV positive oropharynx cancer.

BACKGROUND STATEMENT: There is an increasing incidence of HPV positive oropharynx cancer and, as a result, a growing number of patients requiring survivorship care. HPV positive patients have unique patterns of recurrence and late effects of treatment and warrant personalized survivorship care.