Does HPV type affect outcome in oropharyngeal cancer?

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Virology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Global rise in human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPSCC).
• HPV type-16 is the primary driver, accounting for ~90% of HPV-positive cases.
• Need to establish HPV-related OPSCC rates in Southwestern Ontario.

Purpose of the Study:

• Determine the prevalence of HPV-positive OPSCC in Southwestern Ontario.
• Investigate the correlation between HPV status and patient outcomes.
• Analyze HPV subtype distribution and clinical presentation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 95 OPSCC patient records.
• Testing biopsy specimens for p16 expression (immunohistochemistry).
• Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) for HPV-16, HPV-18, and other high-risk HPV types.

Main Results:

• 53% of OPSCC cases were HPV-positive; 90% of these were HPV-16.
• Strong correlation between p16 expression and HPV status (p < 0.001).
• HPV-positive OPSCC patients demonstrated significantly better 3-year overall survival (90% vs 65%) and disease-free survival (85% vs 49%) compared to HPV-negative patients.

Conclusions:

• HPV-16 is a major cause of OPSCC in Southwestern Ontario.
• Other high-risk HPV subtypes contribute to a smaller fraction of OPSCC.
• HPV-positive OPSCC, particularly HPV-16 related, may present differently and have a distinct prognosis.