Human Papillomavirus-16 Infection in Advanced Oral Cavity Cancer Patients is Related to an Increased Risk of Distant Metastases and Poor Survival

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2012 Jul 19

PMID 22808258

Citations 53

Authors

Li-Ang Lee

Chung-Guei Huang

Chun-Ta Liao

Li-Yu Lee

Chuen Hsueh

Tse-Ching Chen

Chien-Yu Lin

Kang-Hsing Fan

Hung-Ming Wang

Shiang-Fu Huang

I-How Chen

Chung-Jan Kang

Shu-Hang Ng

Shu-Li Yang

Kuo-Chien Tsao

Yu-Liang Chang

Tzu-Chen Yen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an oncogenic virus causing oropharyngeal cancers and resulting in a favorable outcome after the treatment. The role of HPV in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains ambiguous.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of HPV infection on disease control among patients with OSCC following radical surgery with radiation-based adjuvant therapy.

Patients And Method: We prospectively followed 173 patients with advanced OSCC (96% were stage III/IV) who had undergone radical surgery and adjuvant therapy between 2004 and 2006. They were followed between surgery and death or up to 60 months. Surgical specimens were examined using a PCR-based HPV blot test. The primary endpoints were the risk of relapse and the time to relapse; the secondary endpoints were disease-free survival, disease-specific survival, and overall survival.

Results: The prevalence of HPV-positive OSCC was 22%; HPV-16 (9%) and HPV-18 (7%) were the genotypes most commonly encountered. Solitary HPV-16 infection was a poor predictor of 5-year distant metastases (hazard ratio, 3.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-8.0; P = 0.005), disease-free survival (P = 0.037), disease-specific survival (P = 0.006), and overall survival (P = 0.010), whereas HPV-18 infection had no impact on 5-year outcomes. The rate of 5-year distant metastases was significantly higher in the HPV-16 or level IV/V metastasis group compared with both the extracapsular spread or tumor depth ≥ 11-mm group and patients without risk factors (P<0.001).

Conclusions: HPV infections in advanced OSCC patients are not uncommon and clinically relevant. Compared with HPV-16-negative advanced OSCC patients, those with a single HPV-16 infection are at higher risk of distant metastases and poor survival despite undergoing radiation-based adjuvant therapy and require a more aggressive adjuvant treatment and a more thorough follow-up.

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HPV infection in oral cancer, our experience: prevalence, clinical implications, and current vaccination program in Spain.

Aragon-Nino I, Cuesta-Urquia C, Gonzalez-Martin-Moro J, Moran-Soto M, Pozo-Kreilinger J, Pampin-Martinez M J Clin Exp Dent. 2023; 15(7):e584-e589.

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Human papillomavirus infection and non-oropharyngeal head and neck cancers: an umbrella review of meta-analysis.

Petrelli F, Cin E, Ghidini A, Carioli D, Falasca V, Stefani A Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2023; 280(9):3921-3930.

PMID: 37212863 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-023-08027-4.

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