HPV and survival in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (OPC) treated with induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy (ST) versus chemoradiotherapy alone (CRT): The Dana-Farber experience.

Abstract

5582 Background: HPV status is a major prognostic marker for survival in patients with OPC. We examined overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) in patients with OPC and known HPV status treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with ST and CRT between 2002 and 2011. Methods: 280 patients with OPC and known HPV status were identified retrospectively and clinical information was recorded. Results: 174 patients were treated with CRT (124 HPV positive, 50 HPV negative) and 106 patients were treated with ST (77 HPV positive, 29 HPV negative). For all 280 patients, OS and PFS were significantly better for patients who were HPV positive compared to those who were HPV negative. 3 year OS was 89.1% for HPV positive (95% CI, 83.8-94.7) and 70.5% for HPV negative patients (95%CI, 59.9-83%, HR 0.37, p=0.0007). Among HPV positive patients treated with CRT, 13/124 had died at 3 years (OS 88.5%, 95%CI 81.7-95.9) while 13 deaths were recorded among 50 HPV negative patients (OS 72.2%, 95% CI 59.1-88.2, HR 0.38, p=0.011). PFS at 3 years was also significantly better for HPV positive versus HPV negative patients(81.7% vs 58.8%, HR 0.42, p=0.006). In the group treated with ST, outcomes were similar despite a higher rate of stage IV versus stage III disease compared to the group treated with CRT (100% stage IV in ST versus 77% stage IV and 23% stage III disease in CRT group). Three year OS was 89.7% for HPV positive and 68.2% in the HPV negative group (8/77 HPV pos vs 10/29 HPV neg, HR 0.33, p=0.015). PFS was borderline better for HPV positive patients (81% vs 61.7%, HR 0.48, p= 0.058). Conclusions: We present the DFCI experience treating OPC with ST and CRT for patients with known HPV status over one decade.OS and PFS were superior for HPV positive versus HPV negative patients. Outcomes were virtually identical for patients treated with CRT versus ST despite a higher rate of stage IV disease in the ST group. Outcomes for the HPV negative patients in particular were superior compared to the published literature.