High E6 Gene Expression Predicts for Distant Metastasis and Poor Survival in Patients With HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

High E6 gene expression level identifies HPV-positive OPSCC patients with 5-fold greater risk of distant disease recurrence and worse cancer-specific survival. Validation in a multi-institutional prospective clinical trial is required to assess the utility of E6 gene expression as a clinically useful prognostic biomarker.