Translational risk-adapted approaches to de-escalated radiation for human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal cancer: Past, present, and future

Abstract

Interest in the use of de-escalated radiation to treat patients with newly diagnosed human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer has grown dramatically with the publication of prospective trials demonstrating the efficacy of such an approach. While the rationale for de-escalation--- namely to decrease treatment-related toxicity while maintaining the excellent rates of disease control historically observed in patients with this disease-is inherently obvious, uncertainty exists regarding how to best select patients for de-escalation. Consequently, risk-adapted strategies using a variety of translational and clinical platforms have been increasingly popularized to better refine treatment. These have integrated contemporary methods of mid-treatment response assessment using advanced technologies and molecular assays to customize the radiation dose. By monitoring the response as patients actively proceed through treatment, risk-adapted protocols have the potential to provide insight into the biological behavior of tumors and make individualized therapy possible. The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence to date on risk-adapted approaches to de-escalated radiation-- highlighting the clinical, radiological, and biological data which may ultimately help usher the principles of precision medicine into practice for patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer.

Keywords: Adaptive; De-escalation; HPV; Oropharyngeal cancer; Radiation.