{"title":"Quantification of Circulating HPV DNA as a Biomarker for Cervical pre-cancer and cancer: A Pilot Study.","authors":"Apoorva Gangwar, Shivanjali Raghuvanshi, Shalini Bhalla, Preeti Agarwal, Ajay Kumar Singh, Nisha Singh, Madhu Kumar, Sudhir Singh, Nitu Nigam, Esha Jafa, Harshi Srivastava","doi":"10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.5.1681","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Tumor cells release fragments of their DNA into the bloodstream, called cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) or liquid biopsy. In this study, we investigate whether human papillomavirus cell-free tumor DNA (ctHPV DNA) can be detected in patients with cervical cancer or premalignant lesions before and after treatment. We are also investigating whether ctHPV DNA levels correlate with patient or tumor characteristics and outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 67 cases were included, including 42 with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) and 11 with early-stage cervical cancer (ESCC), as well as 14 with premalignant lesions. Pre- and post-treatment plasma samples were tested for ctHPV DNA levels using digital droplet PCR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The pretreatment ctHPV DNA was detected in 21.42%(n=09/42) cases with LACC and post treatment ctHPV DNA was detected in 16.66% (07/42) LACC cases. While circulating ctHPV DNA was not detected in ESCC and premalignant lesion cases. Higher levels of ctHPV DNA were correlated to the higher FIGO2018 stage.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>ctHPV DNA is a promising biomarker in locally advanced cervical cancer and should be further investigated for clinical use. In ESCC patients, the detection rate of ctHPV DNA is not sufficient for clinical benefit even using ddPCR, the most sensitive technologies available.</p>","PeriodicalId":55451,"journal":{"name":"Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention","volume":"26 5","pages":"1681-1687"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.5.1681","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"Medicine","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Tumor cells release fragments of their DNA into the bloodstream, called cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) or liquid biopsy. In this study, we investigate whether human papillomavirus cell-free tumor DNA (ctHPV DNA) can be detected in patients with cervical cancer or premalignant lesions before and after treatment. We are also investigating whether ctHPV DNA levels correlate with patient or tumor characteristics and outcomes.
Methods: A total of 67 cases were included, including 42 with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) and 11 with early-stage cervical cancer (ESCC), as well as 14 with premalignant lesions. Pre- and post-treatment plasma samples were tested for ctHPV DNA levels using digital droplet PCR.
Results: The pretreatment ctHPV DNA was detected in 21.42%(n=09/42) cases with LACC and post treatment ctHPV DNA was detected in 16.66% (07/42) LACC cases. While circulating ctHPV DNA was not detected in ESCC and premalignant lesion cases. Higher levels of ctHPV DNA were correlated to the higher FIGO2018 stage.
Conclusion: ctHPV DNA is a promising biomarker in locally advanced cervical cancer and should be further investigated for clinical use. In ESCC patients, the detection rate of ctHPV DNA is not sufficient for clinical benefit even using ddPCR, the most sensitive technologies available.
期刊介绍:
Cancer is a very complex disease. While many aspects of carcinoge-nesis and oncogenesis are known, cancer control and prevention at the community level is however still in its infancy. Much more work needs to be done and many more steps need to be taken before effective strategies are developed. The multidisciplinary approaches and efforts to understand and control cancer in an effective and efficient manner, require highly trained scientists in all branches of the cancer sciences, from cellular and molecular aspects to patient care and palliation.
The Asia Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention (APOCP) and its official publication, the Asia Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention (APJCP), have served the community of cancer scientists very well and intends to continue to serve in this capacity to the best of its abilities. One of the objectives of the APOCP is to provide all relevant and current scientific information on the whole spectrum of cancer sciences. They aim to do this by providing a forum for communication and propagation of original and innovative research findings that have relevance to understanding the etiology, progression, treatment, and survival of patients, through their journal. The APJCP with its distinguished, diverse, and Asia-wide team of editors, reviewers, and readers, ensure the highest standards of research communication within the cancer sciences community across Asia as well as globally.
The APJCP publishes original research results under the following categories:
-Epidemiology, detection and screening.
-Cellular research and bio-markers.
-Identification of bio-targets and agents with novel mechanisms of action.
-Optimal clinical use of existing anti-cancer agents, including combination therapies.
-Radiation and surgery.
-Palliative care.
-Patient adherence, quality of life, satisfaction.
-Health economic evaluations.