The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has released updated guidelines on the use of radiation therapy in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) caused by HPV.
The guidelines were published June 18 in Practical Radiation Oncology and address radiation therapy as a standalone curative treatment for the disease or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy. They also cover treatment planning and response assessment for patients diagnosed with this type of head and neck cancer.
Since ASTRO published its last guideline for oropharyngeal cancer in 2017, HPV-positive OPSCC has been recognized as a clinically separate disease from non-HPV OPSCC, and the new guidelines focus specifically on treatment for patients with HPV-positive disease.
