[Simultaneous screening of HPV-6b and 16 in pharyngolaryngeal cancer]

It has been suggested that some human papilloma viruses (HPV) may play a causal role in cancer of the pharynx, larynx, and oral cavity, together with factors such as smoking, alcohol, toxins, and heredity. Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we detected the two most common genotypes in pharyngolaryngeal cancer, HPV-6b and 16, in 15 patients from a series of 57 cases. One patient had both genotypes. The fact that this was the only positive case in which no other risk factors were present, particularly alcohol and smoking, suggests that the synergetic oncogenic action of both viruses could have played an important role in carcinogenesis.