Detecting HPV DNA in Anal and Cervical Cancers

March 2, 2026 updated by: University of Chicago

Circulating HPV DNA in Cancers of the Anus and Uterine Cervix Treated With Definitive Radiation Therapy

This is a research study for individuals who have cancer associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) and are being treated with radiation as part of standard care for their cancer. Doctors leading this study will use blood tests to find out if they can detect the HPV virus in the blood of study participants before, during, and after radiation treatment. They will also collect blood and archival tumor tissue (from a previous biopsy) to perform other tests in the future that could provide more information about HPV-associated cancers and how they respond to treatment. Participation in this study will last approximately 2 years.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Illinois
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60637
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612
        • Recruiting
        • University of Illinois at Chicago
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Christina Son

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants will be identified and selected from patients receiving treatment in the Departments of Radiation Oncology at University of Chicago and all participating sites where this study is being conducted including. Individuals from the public who have an HPV-associated cancer and fit the listed inclusion criteria can also be considered for participation in this study.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Stage I-III anal cancer or stage I-IVA cervical cancer that is p16+ based on immunohistochemistry.
  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Planned to undergo radiation therapy as definitive treatment, with or without concurrent systemic therapy

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Anal carcinoma not associated with HPV-16, 18, 31, 33, or 35 will be removed from the
  • Planned to undergo radiation therapy as an adjuvant or post-operative therapy

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Retrospective (Participants Who Have Already Been Treated for HPV-Related Cancer Before Study)
This group will use medical records from participants who have already received chemoradiation for their HPV-related anal or cervical cancer at a time before this study started. Because they have already received treatment, these participants will provide previous blood/tumor tissue samples that contain detectable HPV DNA as well as at least one post-treatment sample that their doctor collected before the study. Data from these previously collected samples will be compared to current samples from participants who are actively enrolled in this study in present day (chart review).
Prospective (Participants Who Will Receive Radiation Treatment for HPV-Related Cancer During Study)
This group is for participants who plan to receive radiation treatment (with or without chemotherapy) for their HPV-related anal or cervical cancer during the time this study will be conducted. Participants in this group will sign a consent form allowing researchers to collect their blood samples and analyze/compare them to the samples from the retrospective group of participants.
Radiation: Radiation Treatment With or Without Chemotherapy
Standard care radiation treatment.
Other: Blood Sample Collection
Researchers will collect blood samples from participants before, during and after radiation treatment. Approximately 6 teaspoons of blood will be collected each time blood is drawn.
Diagnostic test: HPV Genotyping (HPV DNA Test)
A test used to detect the type of HPV DNA found in the participant's blood and tumor tissue samples.
Diagnostic test: Testing Archival Tumor Tissue
Tumor tissue will be tested in a lab for all cervical cancer participants and some participants with anal cancer as assessed by the lead study doctor. This tumor tissue sample will be from a previous biopsy that the participant received before the study per standard care; no new biopsy will be required for this study.
Other: Physical Exam
A physical exam will be given 12 months after radiation treatment. This physical exam may also include an anoscopy (a procedure to examine the anus using a device inserted into the anus) or sigmoidoscopy (a procedure that looks at the rectum and lower part of the colon using a device inserted into the anus).
Diagnostic test: Positron Emission Tomography Scan (PET Scan)/ Computed Tomography Scan (CT Scan)
Tests that use computers and/or rotating x-rays to scan/create images of the body.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rate of Participants With Detectable Circulating HPV DNA in Blood/Tumor Samples
Time Frame: 25 months
The rate of participants who have detectable HPV DNA in their blood and tumor samples as assessed by analyzing blood/ tumor tissue samples using Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
25 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Accuracy of HPV DNA Levels in Predicting Cancer Recurrence at 24 Months
Time Frame: 24 months
The accuracy of post-treatment HPV DNA levels in predicting cancer recurrence at 24 months after treatment. This accuracy will be assessed using statistical calculations incorporating data from the participant's HPV DNA detection test results and clinical records.
24 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Chicago

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Christina Son, MD, University Of Chicago

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 6, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 15, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 15, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 8, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 20, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 23, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 2, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB20-0410

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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