RTOG 0129 (HPV analysis)
The analysis that showed HPV-positive throat cancers are a different, far more curable disease, launching two decades of de-escalation research.
Ang et al., NEJM 2010: 3-year OS 82.4% for HPV-positive vs 57.1% for HPV-negative oropharyngeal cancer; HPV status was the strongest prognostic factor, with tobacco exposure modifying it. Led to a separate AJCC staging system for HPV-positive disease (8th edition) and the de-escalation trials that followed.
- 82.4 vs 57.1 out of 100 alive at 3 years with HPV-positive compared with HPV-negative; 25.3 more per 100.
- Roughly one extra person helped for every 4 treated. That is a rough figure taken from the two percentages, not a guarantee for any one person.
- Overall survival counts deaths from any cause, so it is the most direct measure of whether a treatment helps people live longer.
- These results apply to the people the trial enrolled: Stage III-IV oropharyngeal and other HNSCC: accelerated vs standard fractionation chemoradiation; retrospective HPV analysis. People in a different situation may not see the same effect.
Numbers are from the trial as recorded here; see the source links in the table below. This is orientation, not medical advice: ask your team how closely the trial population matches you.
743 participants enrolled.
| Endpoint | Arm | n | Value | HR (95% CI) | p | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall survival at 3 years by HPV status | HPV-positive | — | 82.4% | — | — | link |
| HPV-negative | — | 57.1% |
Pages like this
not linked directly; found by shared links- PairingCaution: de-escalating radiation on HPV status alone
Shares HPV-positive (p16) head and neck cancer, IMRT / IGRT (modern external beam), Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
- IdeactHPV-DNA-adapted de-escalation of chemoradiation
Shares HPV-positive (p16) head and neck cancer, IMRT / IGRT (modern external beam), Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
- TrialNRG-HN002 & NRG-HN005 (HPV+ de-escalation)
Shares HPV-positive (p16) head and neck cancer, IMRT / IGRT (modern external beam), Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
- PersonMu-Sheng Zeng
Shares HPV & HBV vaccination, Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
- IdeaPhotobiomodulation and a taste and swallowing programme for mouth and throat toxicity
Shares IMRT / IGRT (modern external beam), Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
- InstitutionInstitut National d'Oncologie, Rabat
Shares HPV & HBV vaccination, IMRT / IGRT (modern external beam), Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
- InstitutionOcean Road Cancer Institute
Shares HPV & HBV vaccination, IMRT / IGRT (modern external beam), Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
- TrialTrilynX
Shares IMRT / IGRT (modern external beam), Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.