Impacting the Oral HPV Continuum: MOUTH Study (Men and Women Offering Understanding of Throat HPV)

This study will provide one of the first estimates of long-term oral HPV natural history, and the effect of biologic and behavioral risk factors, including HIV, on this natural history. Phase 1 of the study will screen approximately 1500 people for oncogenic oral HPV biomarkers. Phase 2 of the study will follow only those subjects with oncogenic oral HPV infection and/or HPV serum oncogene antibodies from Phase 1 (and those previously identified as having oncogenic oral HPV infection in a previous study) with annual follow-up for oncogenic oral HPV persistence.

Understanding persistent oncogenic oral HPV infection is the focus of this study. Understanding which factors drive oral HPV infection to become persistent or progress to malignancy is critical to determine who is at high risk for oropharyngeal cancer and may benefit from screening and prevention. It is presumed that persistent oncogenic oral HPV infections are necessary for progression to HPV-OPC.

The study is led by Dr. Amber D'Souza and Dr Carole Fakhry (Johns Hopkins) and participants are being enrolled in Baltimore MD (Johns Hopkins) and in New York (Mt. Sinai).