Epidemiologic Trends in Human Papillomavirus-Associated Sinonasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) is the most commonly encountered cancer within the sinonasal cavity. Ongoing research has sought to ascertain the potential role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the pathogenesis of SNSCC.

To assess trends in HPV-associated and HPV-independent SNSCC over time, including assessment of clinical demographics, treatment patterns, and survival.

This cohort study used patient data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database between 1975 and 2018. Anatomic sites with a greater predilection for HPV positivity (ie, nasal cavity, ethmoid sinus) were used as a surrogate for HPV-associated SNSCC; meanwhile, patients with SNSCC in the other subsites were classified into the HPV-independent group. Data were analyzed from August 2022 to May 2023.

Clinical demographics and mortality trends over time were described for the HPV-associated and HPV-independent groups and further stratified according to stage on presentation.

The study population consisted of 3752 patients with SNSCC (mean [SD] age at diagnosis, 65.7 [13.3] years; 2417 [64.4%] male), with 1983 (52.9%) having HPV-associated SNSCC and 1769 (47.1%) with HPV-independent SNSCC. Patients with HPV-associated subsites compared with patients with HPV-independent SNSCC were more likely to present with localized disease (838 [42.3%] vs 162 [9.2%]), whereas more patients in the HPV-independent group than HPV-associated group presented with regional disease (1018 [57.5%] vs 480 [24.2%]). Incidence-based mortality was stable over time within the HPV-associated group (0.32%) and, conversely, showed a significant decrease within the HPV-independent group (-2.29%). Patients with HPV-associated SNSCC had a higher 5-year overall survival when compared with the HPV-independent group (62% vs 35% [difference, 27 percentage points; 95% CI, 23-31 percentage points]). The better 5-year overall survival in the HPV-associated group vs HPV-independent group was present across all disease stages (localized: hazard ratio [HR], 2.67; 95% CI, 1.96-3.65; regional: HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.29-1.82; and distant: HR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.52-2.55).

This cohort study showed that the proportion of HPV-associated SNSCC rose over time associated with both a rise in the proportion of nasal cavity SNSCC and a decrease in HPV-independent maxillary sinus SNSCC. These data suggest that HPV-associated SNSCC has a distinct demographic and prognostic profile, given the improved survival seen in patients with HPV-associated SNSCC.