Sensitivity to inhibition of DNA repair by Olaparib in novel oropharyngeal cancer cell lines infected with Human Papillomavirus.

The incidence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is increasing rapidly in the UK. Patients with HPV-positive OPSCC generally show superior clinical responses relative to HPV-negative patients. We hypothesised that these superior responses could be associated with defective repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSB).