Human Papillomavirus-related Oropharyngeal Cancer: Are Recurrences Similar to the Parent Tumor?

Background Although typically associated with a favorable prognosis, a minority of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal cancers (OPC) recur after chemoradiation. We postulated that a minor HPV-negative tumor sub-fraction may be responsible for recurrences of HPV+ OPC.