At-home self‑sampling for HPV-related mouth and throat cancer screening and follow-up
HPV-related Oropharyngeal Cancer Screening and Monitoring through Remote Self-Sampling
This project tests whether adults can use easy at‑home oral swabs and small blood samples to screen for and monitor HPV-related mouth and throat cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11261739 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would collect samples yourself at home (oral swabs and fingerprick or small blood specimens) and mail them to a lab that runs new tests for HPV antibodies and tumor-modified HPV DNA. Researchers will compare those home-collected results to clinic-based blood and swab testing to see if home sampling performs the same. The work expands prior clinic trials to include women and people with limited healthcare access and measures how acceptable and feasible self-collection is. The goal is to find a noninvasive way to screen and remotely monitor people for HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 and older at risk for HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, including people with prior HPV exposure, those needing after‑treatment monitoring, and individuals with limited access to clinics.
Not a fit: People under age 21, those with urgent symptoms needing immediate diagnosis or treatment, or people with non‑HPV-related throat conditions are unlikely to benefit from this screening approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could detect HPV-related mouth and throat cancers earlier and reduce the need for in-person clinic visits.
How similar studies have performed: Clinic-based research has shown HPV16 E antibodies and circulating tumor-modified HPV DNA are promising biomarkers, but using remote self-sampling for this purpose is less well tested.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sturgis, Erich Madison — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Sturgis, Erich Madison
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.