Virally mediated head and neck cancers caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) are increasing in the United States and are a global health problem. Understanding emerging treatment paradigms based on the viral etiology of these malignancies is critical to improve disease-control and quality-of-life outcomes in these diseases.

It is imperative that head and neck oncologists (including radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and head and neck surgeons) understand the unique management paradigms specific for virally mediated head and neck cancers. This includes understanding how to use viral testing in the management of each of these diseases and understanding novel therapeutic strategies that target these viral-specific cancers. These technologies are rapidly developing and being implemented into clinical practice, and further information about the state-of-the-art of the field is necessary to inform physicians about these changes.

This session provides an overview of emerging technologies and treatment paradigms in head and neck cancers driven by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). In particular, the utility of both EBV and HPV circulating tumor DNA testing will be reviewed in the locoregional and/or metastatic settings. Further, novel immunotherapeutic paradigms targeting these viral-mediated cancers is discussed.