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Updated: Aug 17, 2025

RNAscope for In situ Detection of Transcriptionally Active Human Papillomavirus in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: March 11, 2014
The Prognostic and Predictive Effects of Human Papillomavirus Status in Hypopharyngeal Carcinoma: Population-Based
Shi-Ping Yang1, Xiang-Ying Lin1, Min Hu2
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, China.
Background:
The role of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) status in patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) remains controversial.
Objective:
Our aim was to determine the prognostic and predictive effects of HPV status in patients with locally advanced HSCC (stage III-IVB) receiving primary radiotherapy.
Methods:
Patients diagnosed with stage III-IVB HSCC between 2010 and 2016 were identified. HPV status, demographics, clinicopathological characteristics, treatment, and survival data were captured. Kaplan-Meier analysis, multivariable Cox regression analysis, and propensity score matching analysis were performed.
Results:
We identified 531 patients in this study and 142 (26.7%) patients with HPV-positive diseases. No significant differences were observed between those with HPV-negative and HPV-positive diseases with regard to demographics, clinicopathological characteristics, and chemotherapy use. HPV-positive HSCC had better head and neck cancer-specific survival (HNCSS; P=.001) and overall survival (OS; P<.001) compared to those with HPV-negative tumors. Similar results were found using the multivariable Cox regression analysis. Sensitivity analyses showed that the receipt of chemotherapy was associated with significantly improving HNCSS (P<.001) and OS (P<.001) compared to not receiving chemotherapy in HPV-negative HSCC, whereas comparable HNCSS (P=.59) and OS (P=.12) were found between both treatment arms in HPV-positive HSCC. Similar results were found after propensity score matching.
Conclusions:
Approximately one-quarter of HSCC may be HPV-related, and HPV-positive HSCC is associated with improved survival outcomes. Furthermore, additional chemotherapy appears to be not related to a survival benefit in patients with HPV-positive tumors who received primary radiotherapy.
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