Comparing cisplatin-Chemoradiotherapy to Cetuximab-radiotherapy in HPV(+) “low-risk” locally advanced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: lessons from De-escalate study

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-OSCC) is rapidly increasing in incidence and has unique epidemiologic, molecular, and biologic characteristics. Standard combined modality therapies for head and neck cancer confer a significant risk of morbidity. However, patients with HPV-OSCC are diagnosed at a younger age and have a superior prognosis; this spurs the development of treatment deintensification trials that attempt to decrease treatment-related morbidity without compromising efficacy. MAIN BODY: The De-Escalate-HPV is a randomized phase 3 study that compares the standard treatment, radiation and cisplatin, with radiation and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor cetuximab in patients with low-risk HPV-OSCC. CONCLUSION: In this commentary, we aim to discuss the results of the De-Escalate-HPV study.