Mutational profile of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in relation to HPV, tobacco smoking and prognosis with validation in the DAHANCA 19 randomized trial.

ABSTRACT: This study investigated prognostic biomarkers in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), with a focus on tumors related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and potential molecular effects of tobacco smoking, as smokers with HPV+ OPSCC often have poorer outcomes. We first analyzed 56 previously untreated OPSCC patients (exploration cohort), assessing HPV status, gene expression related to hypoxia, tumor subtype, and radiosensitivity, together with next-generation sequencing (NGS) of cancer-related genes. A custom NGS panel was subsequently designed and validated in 162 patients from the DAHANCA 19 randomized controlled trial (RCT), all treated with curative (chemo-)radiotherapy. In the exploration cohort (40 HPV+, 79%), the most common molecular events in HPV+ tumors were PIK3CA

SUBMITTER: Lilja-Fischer J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12398107 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature