Journal Article DKFZ-2026-01020

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png
De-escalation of adjuvant radio(chemo)therapy for patients with HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: study protocol for a phase I trial to reduce late toxicity (DELPHI).

 ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;

2026
BioMed Central London

BMC cancer 26(1), 542 () [10.1186/s12885-026-16050-x]
 GO

Abstract: Patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma are receiving adjuvant radio(chemo)therapy as standard of care, according to national guidelines. However, patients with human papilloma virus (HPV) driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), are shown to have superior locoregional control (LRC) rates, suggesting that they are likely being overtreated. To date it is unknown, if and to which extent adjuvant radiotherapy can be safely reduced.The interventional multicentric DELPHI trial is investigating step-wise radiation dose reduction in patients with both p16-overexpressing and HPV16 DNA positive OPSCC. Depending on international clinical and histopathological risk factors, patients are being enrolled in the high-risk or intermediate-risk arm. Patients of the high-risk arm are receiving standard simultaneous chemotherapy with cisplatin. Patients with smoking history of at least 30 packyears are being treated in the observational arm. Primary endpoint of the DELPHI trial is LRC after 24 months. Secondary endpoints are acute and late toxicity, quality of life during and up to 24 months after the end of therapy as well as LRC and overall survival after 60 months.Primary aim of the DELPHI trial is to show that radiation dose reduction is safe and therefore feasible in patients with HPV-positive OPSCC. Secondary objective is to show that radiation-dose reduction leads to less late toxicity compared with standard treatment and thus improves quality of life.The DELPHI trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT03396718.

Keyword(s): Humans (MeSH) ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck: virology (MeSH) ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck: therapy (MeSH) ; Papillomavirus Infections: virology (MeSH) ; Papillomavirus Infections: complications (MeSH) ; Human papillomavirus 16 (MeSH) ; Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant: adverse effects (MeSH) ; Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant: methods (MeSH) ; Quality of Life (MeSH) ; Head and Neck Neoplasms: virology (MeSH) ; Head and Neck Neoplasms: therapy (MeSH) ; Female (MeSH) ; Cisplatin: administration & dosage (MeSH) ; Male (MeSH) ; Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic (MeSH) ; Oropharyngeal Neoplasms: virology (MeSH) ; Oropharyngeal Neoplasms: therapy (MeSH) ; Multicenter Studies as Topic (MeSH) ; Dose de-escalation ; HNSCC ; HPV ; Oropharyngeal carcinoma ; Phase I clinical trial ; Radiotherapy ; Cisplatin

Classification:

Note: #DKTKZFB26# / #NCTZFB26#

Contributing Institute(s):
  1. DKTK Koordinierungsstelle Dresden (DD01)
  2. Koordinierungsstelle NCT Dresden (DD04)
  3. E210 KKE Translationale Radioonkologie (E210)
  4. DKTK HD zentral (HD01)
  5. Koordinierungsstelle NCT Heidelberg (HD02)
  6. E220 Radioonkologie Radiobiologie (E220)
  7. DKTK DD Translationale Radioonkologie (DD02)
Research Program(s):
  1. 315 - Bildgebung und Radioonkologie (POF4-315) (POF4-315)

Appears in the scientific report 2026
Database coverage:
Medline ; DOAJ ; Article Processing Charges ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Clinical Medicine ; DOAJ Seal ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; Fees ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; PubMed Central ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection
Click to display QR Code for this record

The record appears in these collections:
Document types > Articles > Journal Article
Public records
Publications database

 Record created 2026-04-30, last modified 2026-05-01



Rate this document:

Rate this document:
1
2
3
 
(Not yet reviewed)