Reduced-Dose Radiation Cuts Patient-Reported Toxicity in HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Cancer

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/reduced-dose-radiation-cuts-toxicity-hpv-related-2026a10010zr?src= Among patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) who had a complete response to induction chemotherapy, those who received reduced-dose intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) reported significantly less difficulty swallowing and less voice impairment than those who received standard-dose IMRT, per the phase 2 E1308 trial. Disease-specific patient-reported outcome (PRO) tools detected these differences more reliably than general quality-of-life measures. A historical comparison with the earlier E2399 trial supported similar reductions in toxicity with IMRT vs three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DRT).