HPV After chemoRadioTherapy (HART)

March 20, 2026 updated by: David Cibula, General University Hospital, Prague

Implementation of HPV Testing in Patients After Radiotherapy for Cervical Cancer

The HART (HPV After chemoRadiotherapy) study is a prospective multicenter observational trial designed to evaluate the clinical utility of HPV testing in the follow-up of patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for cervical cancer. Current surveillance after CRT relies mainly on clinical examination and imaging, while the role of HPV-based molecular monitoring remains insufficiently defined. The study plans to enroll 120 patients with FIGO stage IB-IVA cervical cancer treated with primary radiotherapy with curative intent. HPV detection will be performed using two complementary approaches: PCR-based detection of HPV DNA from a cervical swab and analysis of circulating HPV tumor DNA (ctDNA) in peripheral blood. Samples will be collected before treatment and during follow-up at 3, 12, and 24 months after completion of CRT. The primary objective is to determine the sensitivity of these methods for detecting disease recurrence during a two-year follow-up period. Secondary objectives include evaluation of HPV clearance after treatment, comparison of HPV genotypes before and after therapy in cases of persistence, and comparison of the diagnostic performance of cervical HPV testing and ctDNA detection. The study aims to generate evidence supporting the integration of HPV-based molecular monitoring into routine follow-up, potentially enabling earlier detection of recurrence and more individualized surveillance strategies for patients after CRT for cervical cancer.

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.

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.
120

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

  • Czechia
      • Prague, Czechia, 12800
        • Recruiting
        • General Faculty Hospital in Prague
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients undergoing primary (chemo)radiation for cervical cancer

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patient indicated for primary RT for cervical cancer
  • FIGO stage IB - IVA
  • Signed informed consent
  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Administration of RT with curative intent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Clinical stage FIGO IA
  • Clinical stage FIGO IVB
  • History of radiotherapy in the pelvis
  • Hysterectomy performed before the start of radiotherapy (adjuvant RT)
  • History of HPV-associated malignancy in personal history
  • HIV or other significant immunodeficiency

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.
Cervical cancer patients after primary (chemo)radiotherapy

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
Sensitivity of recurrence detection using Real Time PCR HPV DNA from a cervical swab in patients after (chemo)radiotherapy administered for cervical cancer
Time Frame: 2 years
Sensitivity will be calculated as the proportion of patients who tested HPV-positive after (chemo)radiotherapy (Visit 1) among all patients who developed recurrence during the two-year follow-up.
2 years
Sensitivity of recurrence detection using circulating HPV DNA fragments in the peripheral blood of patients after (chemo)radiotherapy for cervical cancer
Time Frame: 2 years
Sensitivity will be calculated as the proportion of patients with detectable circulating HPV DNA in peripheral blood after (chemo)radiotherapy (Visit 1) among all patients who developed recurrence during the two-year follow-up.
2 years

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
Rate of PCR HPV DNA negativity from a swab after CRT administration
Time Frame: 3 months (from the start of radiotherapy)
Proportion of patients with a negative HPV test by real-time PCR from a cervical swab after (chemo)radiotherapy (Visit 1) among patients who were HPV-positive before treatment (Screening).
3 months (from the start of radiotherapy)
Rate of HPV negativity based on detection of circulating HPV DNA fragments in peripheral blood after CRT.
Time Frame: 3 months (from the start of radiotherapy)
Proportion of patients with an undetectable level of circulating HPV DNA in peripheral blood after completion of (chemo)radiotherapy (Visit 1) among patients in whom circulating HPV DNA was detected before treatment (Screening).
3 months (from the start of radiotherapy)
Comparison of the sensitivity of recurrence detection using HPV DNA PCR from cervical swabs versus detection of circulating HPV DNA fragments in peripheral blood.
Time Frame: 2 years
The sensitivities of the two tests will be compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.
2 years
Evaluation of the course of further treatment (especially the possibility of curability) in patients who were detected with recurrence during the study
Time Frame: 2 years
Proportion of patients with recurrence who underwent curative surgery (with complete resection of the recurrent tumor) among those who developed recurrence.
2 years

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.
General University Hospital, Prague

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.
February 1, 2026

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.
February 1, 2028

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.
February 1, 2030

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).
March 8, 2026

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.
March 20, 2026

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.
March 25, 2026

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 25, 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 20, 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.
  • 102/25
  • GIP-26-L-04-223 (Other Grant/Funding Number: General Faculty Hospital, Prague)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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