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Updated: Sep 1, 2026
Chromogenic In Situ Hybridization as a Tool for HPV-Related Head and Neck Cancer Diagnosis
Published on: June 14, 2019
PET/CT Diagnostic Accuracy for Synchronous Primary HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Tumors: A Multi-Institutional Study
Mei Xing G Zuo1, Varsha Pudi2, Srikar Ganapathiraju1
1Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA.
Background:
The incidence of human papillomavirus-associated (HPV) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is rising, making accurate detection of synchronous primary tumors essential for staging and treatment planning.
Methods:
This multi-institutional retrospective cohort study (2019-2026) included adult participants across three academic tertiary centers who underwent PET/CT and subsequent biopsy or surgical resection with histopathological confirmation of p16-positive disease.
Results:
Among 306 patients meeting inclusion criteria, PET/CT identified 15 suspicious for synchronous primary tumors; seven (mean age 58.90 ± 11.48 years) were pathologically confirmed. PET/CT demonstrated 77.78% sensitivity, 97.31% specificity, 46.67% positive predictive value (PPV), and 99.31% negative predictive value (NPV). False positives were attributed to physiologic bilateral uptake, reactive lymphoid tissue, or inflammation.
Conclusions And Relevance:
PET/CT demonstrates excellent NPV for excluding synchronous primary tumors in HPV-positive OPSCC and moderate PPV for identifying them. In settings of multifocal fluorodeoxyglucose uptake, pathologic confirmation is warranted prior to definitive management.
