Ruud Brakenhoff

Presentation
Treatment is relatively effective for HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), but post-treatment disease monitoring is challenging. Often these tumors are treated by definitive radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, and 3-4 months after treatment, imaging is performed for response monitoring. In 10-20% of cases, residual disease is observed, leading to additional diagnosis and treatment, which in retrospect were often not necessary. In addition 10-20% of patients develop recurrent disease that is often detected too late. Liquid biopsy could improve disease monitoring, but the variety in methods hampers clinical implementation. Both digital (droplet) PCR is employed but also direct sequencing of liquid biopsies to detect circulating tumor HPV DNA (ctHPV-DNA). In this presentation the techniques being exploited are discussed, and how they are being applied. Also data on a 1:1 comparison will be discussed. Available data in the literature are promising, but studies are generally small and insufficiently powered to decide on clinical implementation. A few large studies are underway and will be discussed shortly. A variety of technical concerns should also be addressed before clinical implementation. We are close, very close, but not yet ready for prime time.

Bio
Ruud H. Brakenhoff, PhD is molecular biologist and chairs the Head and Neck Cancer Biology and Immunology laboratory at the department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery within Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands. He studied medicine and was graduated at the Radboud University Nijmegen. The same university awarded him in 1992 the PhD title. From 1992 his research interest switched to the molecular pathogenesis of cancer, and he was appointed in 2005 as professor of head and neck cancer genomics. Current lines of head and neck (pre)cancer research are: 1) molecular oncogenesis and cancer genomics, 2) biomarkers for early diagnosis, prognosis and personalized treatment, and 3) development and evaluation of novel therapies. Research questions are ultimately focused on the improvement of diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer, and there is a close interaction with the clinic. He has (co)authored over 200 peer reviewed papers, and introduced models of head and neck carcinogenesis in the literature. His main interest is in fundamental and translational research, studying head and neck cancer in models as well as human patients, and bringing new molecular findings to the clinic. E.g. sentinel node biopsy and testing for HPV have been brought from bench to bedside, and are implemented in care. He is supervising a variety of circulating DNA studies in head and neck oncology.