The prognostic value of HPV in head and neck cancer patients undergoing postoperative chemoradiotherapy

In a recent issue of Radiotherapy and Oncology , Lohaus and colleagues reported (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2014.11.011) on a subgroup analysis from the German Cancer Consortium Radiation Oncology Group (DKTK-ROG) (1). They reported on 221 patients treated with postoperative radiotherapy with concurrent cisplatin (PORT-C) treated over a 5-year period between 2005 and 2010. They investigate the role of human papilloma virus (HPV) in non-oropharynx head and neck cancer and extend findings from several reports that patients with HNC arising in the oropharynx have significantly improved outcomes if their cancer is associated with HPV.