Case Reports of Two Organ Transplanted Patients with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Having Had Liquid Biopsy for Circulating Cell-Free HPV-DNA - Abstract
Background and Aim: Human papillomavirus positive (HPV+) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), where tonsillar and base of tongue squamous cell carcinomas (TSCC and BOTSCC) dominate, all have better clinical outcome than HPV negative (HPV-) OPSCC, with current chemoradiotherapy. However, not all patients fare well. To gain more insight into treatment response, we are presently evaluating the presence of cell-free HPV DNA (cfHPVDNA) in plasma collected before, during, and after therapy in patients with HPV+ OPSCC and correlating cfHPV-DNA levels with clinical characteristics and
treatment response. Here we present case reports of two organ transplanted patients included in that study.
Material and Methods: A kidney transplanted patient with an HPV-type 16 (HPV16) positive BOTSCC, and a liver transplanted patient with an HPV type 33 (HPV33) positive TSCC, were initially followed for presence of cfHPV-DNA with droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assaying for HPV16 or 33 respectively.
Results and Conclusion: Both patients, were cfHPV-DNA positive at diagnosis, but neither had remarkably high cfHPV-DNA levels at that time point. The kidney transplanted patient with a BOTSCC, failed to respond to treatment, exhibited rising cfHPV-DNA levels throughout the observation period and died shortly after completing primary treatment due to progressive disease. The liver transplanted patient with a TSCC, provided only a diagnostic sample for ddPCR and died without presenting progressive disease, after completing treatment. To conclude, both solid organ transplanted patients fared poorly and had difficulties tolerating therapy