title: Definitive radiation therapy without chemotherapy for human papillomavirus-positive head and neck cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To report a single institutional experience with definitive radiation therapy alone for human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 67 patients were treated by radiation therapy alone to a median dose of 70 Gy (range, 66-72 Gy) for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed pretreatment tumor tissues were used to establish HPV-positivity using standardized techniques of immunohistochemistry for p16 and polymerase chain reaction for HPV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 23 patients with HPV-positive cancers were identified. With a median follow-up of 28 months (range, 6-85 months), the 3-year actuarial rates of overall survival, locoregional control, and distant metastasis-free survival were 83%, 90%, and 88%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings attest to the exquisite radiosensitivity of HPV-positive head and neck cancer. The clinical outcomes observed from this selected series compare favorably with historical controls treated by more intensive chemoradiotherapy strategies.
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California.
authors: Allen M
authors: AM
authors: Chen
authors: Talia
authors: T
authors: Zahra
authors: Megan E
authors: ME
authors: Daly
authors: D Gregory
authors: DG
authors: Farwell
authors: Quang
authors: Q
authors: Luu
authors: Regina
authors: R
authors: Gandour-Edwards
authors: Andrew T
authors: AT
authors: Vaughan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000821:virology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: head and neck cancer; human papillomavirus; radiation therapy; radiosensitivity; squamous cell carcinoma