There are clinical trials with HPV reduction in treatment, maybe with a Erbitux, but outside clinical trials it's not recommended, but Erbitux is used for first line treatment in HNC, and Cisplatin is the gold standard. There is still much unknown about HPV oropharyngeal cancer, and appears there may be three different sub types, one which is more high risk. Also, for some reason, HPV failure rates are being seen after 5 years, in distant areas not normally associated with HNC metastases. while non HPV, levels off after 2 years. I had Erbitux for metastic cancer, with taxotere, last November with the same side effects. Sounds like Erbitux was used as induction/neoadjunt treatment, but usually chemo or a tagged therapy is also used as a radio sensitizer during radiation.