Human papillomavirus and DNA ploidy in tonsillar cancer--correlation to prognosis

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is frequently observed in tonsillar cancer. Here, tonsillar tumors were examined to see whether DNA content varied depending on HPV status, and influenced clinical outcome.

Image cytometry (ICM) was used for DNA content analysis and PCR for HPV analysis in 66 tonsillar cancer biopsies.

Most tumors exhibited a high degree of aneuploidy, while only 12% were diploid. Although non-significant, proportionally more patients with cancer with a 5c ER below the mean value compared to patients with tumors with a 5c ER above the mean value were disease-free and displayed a better survival. Forty-five percent of the tumors were HPV-16-positive. Significantly more HPV-positive tumors than HPV-negative tumors had a 5c ER below the mean value and more patients with HPV- positive, compared to patients with HPV-negative tumors stayed disease-free and had a better survival.

Tonsillar cancer displays a high degree of aneuploidy, albeit HPV-positive tumors have a lower degree of aneuploidy than HPV-negative tumors. Finally, HPV status provides a stronger prognostic value in tonsillar cancer than DNA content.