The unveiled reality of human papillomavirus as risk factor for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

The prognostic impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) in oropharyngeal cancer is generally acknowledged, and HPV-status assessed routinely clinical practice. Paradoxically, while the oral cavity seems predilection site for productive HPV-infections, figures on HPV-attribution squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) differ widely, uncertain. Major obstacles are lack reproducible assays to detect HPV nonoropharyngeal cancers, relatively small cohorts studied consequently shortfall convincing data. In our study, we used a validated, nucleic acid-based workflow assess HPV-prevalence consecutive cohort 1016 OCSCCs, investigated its impact. parallel, analyzed p16-immunohistochemistry (p16-IHC) as surrogate marker transforming HPV-infection independent prognosticator. All OCSCC-patients diagnosed between 2008 2014 at two Dutch university medical centers were included (N = 1069). Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE)-samples OCSCCs could be retrieved. Punch biopsies taken from tumor area FFPE-blocks tested HPV. P16-IHC was performed 580 including all HPV-positive tumors. From 940 samples (92.5%), acids sufficient quality HPV-testing. total, 21 (2.2%) DNA-positive. DNA-positive tumors E6 mRNA-positive considered true HPV-positive. There no difference survival HPV-negative OCSCCs. 46 (7.9%) p16-immunopositive, Survival comparable p16-positive p16-negative To conclude, very low OCSCC neither nor p16-status affects outcome. Based these data, determining irrelevant management.