While a variety of human papillomavirus (HPV) tests and surrogate markers are available, currently there is no consensus on the best detection method(s) that should be used to identify HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas and serve as a standard test (or tests) for routine diagnostic use. As we begin to consider using the results of HPV testing for clinical purposes beyond simple prognostication, such as making decisions on treatment dose or duration or for targeted therapies that may be highly dependent on viral-mediated pathways, we need to be more rigorous in assessing and ensuring the performance of the test (or tests) used. Here we provide an overview of the platforms and technologies, including the strengths and limitations of each test, and discuss what steps are needed to generate confidence in their performance for use in clinical practice.
Keywords: HPV; OPSCC; biomarkers; head and neck cancer; human papillomavirus; molecular diagnostics; oropharyngeal cancer; oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma; p16.
© 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology: Clinical Research published by The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.