Current Management of Adult HPV: From Papilloma to Cancer

Program Description: Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is a major cause of disease. It is causal in respiratory papillomatosis and cervical cancer and is etiologically associated with cancers of the oropharynx as well as additional anogenital sites. Our knowledge of the role of HPV in these diseases is evolving and there are yet many unanswered questions. Furthermore, the epidemiology of these diseases may change with trends in increasing promiscuity and the advent of widespread HPV vaccination. Patients have often read extensively about their diagnosis on the internet and may present with incomplete/incorrect knowledge and difficult questions about disease transmission, progression, treatment and transformation. This miniseminar brings together experts that specialize in different manifestations of HPV disease: adult and pediatric clinicians that treat recurrent respiratory papilloma (RRP), a head and neck surgeon that treats oropharyngeal carcinoma and actively researches vaccines targeting HPV related malignancy, and a guest clinician from gynecology to give insights on the treatment of HPV from a different perspective. The format will focus on case presentations to highlight the specific topics selected for discussion to include: basic biology of HPV infection and oncogenesis, treatment strategies for RRP, adjuvant treatments for RRP, counseling regarding contacts of patients with HPV related disease, HPV vaccine indications, and current concepts regarding the role of HPV in oropharyngeal cancer. There will be opportunity for the audience to ask questions throughout the presentation.

Educational Objectives: 1) Understand current RRP management strategies including surgical techniques, adjuvant medications and nutritional supplements. 2) Be able to counsel patients on etiology of RRP, transmission, cancer risk, and vaccination. 3) Understand how RRP fits in the spectrum of HPV-related disease.