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HPV, p16 status predicted outcomes in recurrent, metastatic SCCHN
HPV and p16 status were favorable prognostic factors among patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, according to study results.
Athanassios Argiris, MD, of the division of hematology and oncology at UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and colleagues assessed the association between HPV status and clinical outcomes in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).
Athanassios Argiris
The researchers obtained baseline tumor specimens from patients enrolled on two clinical trials. One study was a phase 2 trial of irinotecan and docetaxel; the other study was a phase 3 trial of cisplatin and paclitaxel vs. cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil.
Researchers evaluated 64 tumor samples for HPV and 65 for p16 status. They determined 11 tumors (17%) were HPV positive, 12 (18%) were p16 positive, and 52 (80%) were HPV negative and p16 negative.
Objective response, PFS and OS served as endpoints.
Results showed the objective response rate was 55% for HPV-positive tumors and 19% for HPV-negative tumors (P=.022). The objective response rate was 50% for p16-positive tumors vs. 19% for p16-negative tumors (P=.057).
Researchers reported longer median OS among patients with HPV-positive tumors than HPV-negative tumors (12.9 months vs. 6.7 months; P=.014). Median survival was longer among patients with p16-positive tumors than p16-negative tumors (11.9 months vs. 6.7 months; P=.027).
The HRs for OS were 2.69 for HPV-positive tumors (P=.048) and 2.17 for p16-positive tumors (P=.10).
“HPV is a favorable prognostic factor in recurrent or metastatic SCCHN that should be considered in the design of clinical trials in this setting,” Argiris and colleagues concluded.
Disclosure: See the study for a full list of the researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.