Activity ID
12952Expires
October 12, 2024Format Type
Journal-basedCME Credit
1Fee
$30CME Provider: JAMA Oncology
Description of CME Course
Importance Human papillomavirus (HPV)–positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has an overall favorable prognosis, yet a subset of patients will experience devastating disease recurrence. Current surveillance standards for detection of recurrent disease are imperfect. There is growing interest in improving detection of recurrent disease through the use of plasma-based assays able to detect circulating tumor HPV DNA.
Observations Although most circulating tumor HPV DNA assays remain in the research domain, the circulating tumor tissue–modified viral HPV DNA assay became commercially available in the United States in early 2020 and has been increasingly used in the clinical setting. With the rapidly increasing incidence of HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and concomitant expansion of biomarker capabilities for this disease, it is critical to reexamine current posttreatment surveillance practices and to determine whether emerging technologies may be used to improve outcomes for a growing survivor population. However, caution is advised; it is not yet known whether biomarker-based surveillance is truly beneficial, and as is true with any intervention, it has the capacity to cause harm.
Conclusions and Relevance Using Margaret Pepe’s classic 5 phases of biomarker development for early detection of cancer as a framework, this article reviews the current state of knowledge, highlights existing knowledge gaps, and suggests research that should be prioritized to understand the association between biomarker-based surveillance and patient outcomes. Specific attention is paid to the commercially available tumor tissue–modified viral HPV DNA assay, given its increasing clinical use. This review may serve as a road map for future research and a guide for clinicians considering its adoption in practice. Enrollment of patients into clinical trials incorporating biomarker-based surveillance should be prioritized.
Disclaimers
1. This activity is accredited by the American Medical Association.
2. This activity is free to AMA members.
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ABMS Lifelong Learning CME Activity
Allergy and Immunology
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Commercial Support?
NoNOTE: If a Member Board has not deemed this activity for MOC approval as an accredited CME activity, this activity may count toward an ABMS Member Board’s general CME requirement. Please refer directly to your Member Board’s MOC Part II Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment Program Requirements.
Educational Objectives
To identify the key insights or developments described in this article
Keywords
Cancer Biomarkers, Cancer Survivorship, Head and Neck Cancer, Oncology, Otolaryngology
Competencies
Medical Knowledge
CME Credit Type
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
DOI
10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.4042