Speaker
Description
As cure rates improve for HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer, attention has shifted toward reducing the burden of treatment toxicity without compromising disease control. Artificial intelligence and advanced imaging may offer tools to support this goal, though their clinical readiness remains an open question. This talk describes an ongoing research program exploring AI applications across three areas: longitudinal imaging biomarkers for tumour response monitoring during radiotherapy, prediction of treatment outcomes in surgically managed head and neck cancer using multi-omic data, and early detection of treatment-related complications. These projects are being developed in parallel with OPTIMA-OPC, a prospective de-escalation trial in HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer, with the longer-term goal of embedding validated biomarkers into adaptive treatment protocols. We share preliminary findings, current limitations, and the practical challenges of translating AI tools from the research setting into clinical trials.