A review conducted by the American Head and Neck Society evaluating the current and emerging utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) — including oncogenic viral DNA from HPV and EBV — as a biomarker in head and neck cancers, focusing on treatment response monitoring, minimal residual disease (MRD) detection, and precision oncology applications.
Liquid biopsy targeting viral ctDNA shows promise as a diagnostic and surveillance biomarker across head and neck cancer subtypes, particularly HPV-associated oropharynx and EBV-associated nasopharynx cancers; however, routine clinical use is limited by test variability and the risks of inaccurate results.
Full text was inaccessible; summary is based on abstract only. The review does not appear to include primary data or quantitative outcomes. Conclusions rely on ongoing trials whose results are not yet available.
ctDNA (especially viral ctDNA) is not yet standard of care in head and neck oncology — clinicians should view it as investigational and await results from ongoing clinical trials before using it to drive treatment decisions. Test variability and the implications of false results must be weighed carefully.
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