2021 Volume 156 Pages 1-7
Liquid biopsy has the alternative utility, besides being a diagnostic tool, as a minimally invasive monitoring tool for disease profiling and prognostication. Recently, the incidence of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer has been increasing. Also, the choices of chemotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, has been increasing. A minimally invasive diagnostic tool is desired.
Herein, we demonstrate the usefulness of liquid biopsy, not only for HPV ctDNA monitoring, but also for diagnosis of recurrence, in a patient with HPV-OPC. The ctDNA concentrations decreased and serum HPV-DNA became negative after surgery for the primary tumor. When the patient developed a pulmonary lesion during the follow-up after initial treatment, we initially suspected primary lung cancer clinically. The operated lesion turned out to be a metastatic lesion. The test for HPV-DNA, which had become negative before, had become positive before the pulmonary surgery, suggesting recurrent disease.
Liquid biopsy for monitoring of the ctDNA has the potential to allow the disease status to be monitored in patients with HPV-OPC.
