Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026

RNAscope for In situ Detection of Transcriptionally Active Human Papillomavirus in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: March 11, 2014
Clinically Advanced Warty Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Cervix with p16 Overexpression-Case Study and
Laura-Andra Petrică1, Mariana Deacu1,2, Georgeta Camelia Cozaru1,3,4
1"St. Apostol Andrew" Emergency County Hospital, 145 Tomis Blvd., 900591 Constanta, Romania.
Abstract:
Background and Clinical Significance: Warty (condylomatous) squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the uterine cervix is a rare papillary variant of SCC, usually associated with good prognosis. Case Presentation: We report the clinical case of a postmenopausal woman with vaginal bleeding, anemia, and an enlarged, exophytic tumor mass protruding from the cervix. MRI showed a solid-necrotic cervical-uterine mass with invasion of bladder, rectum, both parametria, and the left ureter, with regional lymphadenopathy and FIGO IVA stage was established. Biopsies from the cervical tumor revealed invasive, well-differentiated SCC with conspicuous koilocytic atypia in superficial and deep nests, consistent with warty (condylomatous) SCC. Immunohistochemistry showed p16 overexpression, an intermediate nuclear proliferation rate, and a non-mutational pattern for p53 immunostaining. Radiotherapy was recommended but the patient's condition deteriorated rapidly and she died three months after initial diagnosis. Due to the rarity of this type of tumor, we conducted a search on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to 31 July 2025 and we identified ten reports available for evaluation. A total of 32 cases were identified, usually with FIGO stage I or II, mostly with low-risk HPV infection and with good prognosis. Conclusions: The advanced stage and limited tolerance for therapy in this case emphasize the importance of HPV vaccination and HPV-based screening to prevent late, non-curable presentations. Accurate distinction from condyloma acuminatum and verrucous or papillary SCC is clinically relevant because management and outcomes differ. Since some of the cases reported in the literature had a worse clinical course, with shorter disease-free survival and overall survival, including our case, further research is mandatory in the future to unravel those features which might predict a poor outcome.
More Related Videos
07:43Four-color Fluorescence Immunohistochemistry of T-cell Subpopulations in Archival Formalin-fixed, Paraffin-embedded Human Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Samples
Published on: July 29, 2017
06:57Chromogenic In Situ Hybridization as a Tool for HPV-Related Head and Neck Cancer Diagnosis
Published on: June 14, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Abnormal Proliferation
Metastasis
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
The Retinoblastoma Gene
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...