Yom, Sue S.

The NCCN Guidelines for Head and Neck Cancers address tumors arising in the oral cavity (including mucosal lip), pharynx, larynx, and paranasal sinuses, as well as occult primary cancer, salivary gland cancer, and mucosal melanoma (MM). The specific site of disease, stage, and pathologic findings guide treatment (eg, the appropriate surgical procedure, radiation targets, dose and fractionation of radiation, indications for systemic therapy). The NCCN Head and Neck Cancers Panel meets at least annually to review comments from reviewers within their institutions, examine relevant new data from publications and abstracts, and reevaluate and update their recommendations. These NCCN Guidelines Insights summarize the panel’s most recent recommendations regarding management of nasopharynx cancer and ongoing research in this area.

Abstract Purpose: NFE2L2/KEAP1/CUL3 mutations have been validated for radioresistance in cell-based assays and animal models. However, clinical validation of these biomarkers has been challenging because of multimodality treatment regimens. This study aims to investigate the association between NFE2L2/KEAP1/CUL3 mutations and patient outcomes, including local failure, locoregional failure, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival, using samples from a phase III trial in which patients were treated with radiation monotherapy at two controlled doses. Patients and Methods: We investigated NFE2L2/KEAP1/CUL3 mutations in 250 randomized patients with T2N0 glottic squamous cell carcinoma receiving definitive radiotherapy in the NRG/RTOG 9512 trial. A total of 119 patients had available biospecimens that were subjected to amplicon-based next-generation sequencing to assess for the presence of NFE2L2/KEAP1/CUL3 mutations without regard to outcomes. Mutations in NFE2L2/KEAP1/CUL3 were assessed blinded to clinical outcomes. Cox models (two-sided α = 0.05) were used to evaluate the association with clinical outcomes, performed by an independent statistical team. Results: Nineteen of 119 patients (16.0%) had NFE2L2/KEAP1/CUL3 mutations. Patient, treatment, and tumor characteristics were similar between those with and without mutations. Patients with mutation compared with those without had significantly more local failure [HR = 3.50; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.56–7.89; P = 0.0025] and locoregional failure (HR = 3.80; 95% CI, 1.80–8.03; P = 0.0005). DFS was significantly worse for the mutated compared with the nonmutated group in the first 2 years (HR = 2.88; 95% CI, 1.46–5.66; P = 0.0022). The median DFS was shorter in the mutation group (10.3 months) versus those with intact NFE2L2/KEAP1/CUL3 (4.2 years). Conclusions: NFE2L2/KEAP1/CUL3 mutations may predict radiation treatment failure in T2N0 glottic cancer. See related commentary by Rao, p. 1563

e15045 Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an oncogenic driver of several human cancers, including those of the anal canal, uterine cervix, and head and neck (predominantly oropharynx). Despite advancements in our understanding of HPV-related cancers, there remains an unmet need for a comprehensive biomarker-driven registry to establish correlations between biomarker detectability and clinicopathologic features in patients diagnosed and treated for HPV-driven cancers. To address this need, the NAVigate-HPV Registry has been established to systematically collect and analyze integrated biomarker and clinical data from many U.S. cancer centers. Methods: NavDx (Naveris, Inc.) is a clinically validated blood-based assay detecting circulating cell-free tumor tissue modified viral (TTMV)-HPV DNA. The NAVigate-HPV Registry is a web-based data platform based on a centrally IRB approved protocol. Participating investigators will include providers that order NavDx tests in the routine clinical care of their patients and agree to the terms and conditions for use of the registry. Eligible subjects will have or have had an HPV-driven cancer (with an initial focus on HPV-driven oropharynx cancer with confirmatory tissue testing) and have received one or more NavDx blood tests during routine clinical care. Clinical data and TTMV-HPV DNA scores will be collected at enrollment and defined intervals over five years or until death. Results: In the initial phase, the registry has enlisted participation and established a steering committee composed of a representative from each of 14 institutions. These institutions are geographically diverse centers ranging from community hospitals to clinics and academic medical facilities. An IRB protocol governing the registry will maintain ethical standards, ensuring compliance and ethical conduct throughout the registry process. Data extraction methods have been previously established to evaluate an initial cohort of 543 patients (Hanna GJ, Roof SA, et. al 2023). Conclusions: Naveris and collaborators have together successfully launched the NAVigate-HPV registry with the aim of creating a robust database linking tumor biomarker results from NavDx with clinical outcomes data for HPV-related cancers. The NAVigate-HPV database is expected to encompass more than 1,000 patients within 1 year and grow to > 5,000 patients within 5 years, serving as a powerful tool for precision cancer medicine in this patient cancer population. Establishing this registry will deepen insights into HPV-related cancers and advance diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to improve patient outcomes.

The NCCN Guidelines for Head and Neck Cancers address tumors arising in the oral cavity (including mucosal lip), pharynx, larynx, and paranasal sinuses. Occult primary cancer, salivary gland cancer, and mucosal melanoma (MM) are also addressed. The specific site of disease, stage, and pathologic findings guide treatment (eg, the appropriate surgical procedure, radiation targets, dose and fractionation of radiation, indications for systemic therapy). The NCCN Head and Neck Cancers Panel meets at least annually to review comments from reviewers within their institutions, examine relevant new data from publications and abstracts, and reevaluate and update their recommendations. These NCCN Guidelines Insights summarize the panel’s most recent recommendations regarding management of HPV-positive oropharynx cancer and ongoing research in this area.

Treatment is complex for patients with head and neck (H&N) cancers with specific site of disease, stage, and pathologic findings guiding treatment decision-making. Treatment planning for H&N cancers involves a multidisciplinary team of experts. This article describes supportive care recommendations in the NCCN Guidelines for Head and Neck Cancers, as well as the rationale supporting a new section on imaging recommendations for patients with H&N cancers. This article also describes updates to treatment recommendations for patients with very advanced H&N cancers and salivary gland tumors, specifically systemic therapy recommendations.