Immunologic Responses in HPV-Associated Carcinoma for Patients Receiving Chemoradiation

The primary purpose of this research is to investigate anti-tumor immune responses in patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for Head and Neck Cancers.

Hypothesis: Treatment of HPV-associated OPSCC with concurrent chemoradiation results in changes in the tumor microenvironment. We hypothesize that these changes during daily fractionated chemoradiotherapy can lead to detectable changes in HPV-specific tumor immune responses.

Hypothesis: HPV-specific cellular immune responses can still be detected during radiotherapy in the presence or absence of lymphopenia.

• This study will determine whether specific anti-tumor immune responses (Specific Antibodies and Specific T-cells) can be detected in patients undergoing chemoradiation treatment for Head and Neck Cancers.
• This study will evaluate the presence or absence of HPV (human papillomavirus) specific immune responses before, during, and after treatment for Head and Neck Cancers.
• This study will also evaluate whether decreased white blood cell counts may affect development of immune responses in Head and Neck cancer patients undergoing treatment.

Any head and neck cancer patient undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy is eligible if: you are older than 18 years of age, capable of providing informed consent, have a life expectancy of greater than 4 months, and have a good performance status.

You are eligible irregardless of your HPV positive or negative status. People with HPV positive (human papillomavirus associated) head and neck cancer may join. People with HPV negative head and neck cancer may also join.