Human Papillomavirus Detection in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas at a Tertiary Hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Fewer studies have been done over the years to establish the association of human papillomavirus (HPV) with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSSC) within the subregions of sub-Saharan Africa, and thus this study was designed to investigate the presence of HPV in HNSCC at a tertiary hospital in Ghana, providing additional evidence on the need to explore similar studies in other subregions. A retrospective cross-sectional study was employed to investigate the presence of the DNA of HPV genotypes in HNSCC archived tissue. A total of 100 HNSCC cases were classified as suitable for HPV genotyping. HPV-DNA was detected in 18% of the HNSCC cases, with 17 being HPV-16 and 1 dual infection with HPV-16 and HPV-18. HPV was prevalent in 50% of oropharyngeal cancers, 27% of laryngeal cancers, and 23% of oral cavity cancers. HPV E6/E7 oncogenic DNA was found in 18% of the HNSCC cases, with HPV-16 being the predominant genotype present. The pattern of HPV association was similar to earlier reported studies, recording a higher prevalence in oropharyngeal cancers, followed by laryngeal cancers and oral cavity cancers.

A Contemporary Systematic Review on Repartition of HPV-Positivity in Oropharyngeal Cancer Worldwide

“…The study population varied from 12 in a study from Ghana [ 12 ] to 42,024 in the USA [ 13 ], Table 1 . Most of the minor studies were observed in Middle Eastern and African countries ( n = 12–34).…”

“…HPV detection methods varied among the included studies. Fifteen studies were based on double positivity with both HPV DNA PCR and p16 IHC ( n = 6624) [ 4 , 16 , 19 , 20 , 22 , 23 , 28 , 30 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 38 , 39 , 40 ], eight studies were based on HPV DNA alone ( n = 426) [ 12 , 14 , 15 , 24 , 25 , 29 , 36 , 41 ], six on p16 alone ( n = 391) [ 17 , 18 , 21 , 26 , 27 , 31 ], one study was based on both HPV DNA and HPV RNA ( n = 99) [ 37 ] and one study did not report a detection method ( n = 42,024) [ 13 ]. Most studies using p16 IHC defined p16-positivity (p16+) according to ASCO guidelines with ≥70% positive staining [ 42 ] ( n = 2663), but one study defined p16+ as ≥10% positive staining ( n = 30) [ 30 ], four studies defined p16+ as ≥75% positive staining ( n = 2678) [ 4 , 22 , 31 , 32 ] and one study did not account for p16-positivity ( n = 926) [ 35 ].…”

Epidemiological profile of oral cancers in Benin

“…Indeed, no country is spared since the responsibility for one of these new risk factors, infection by the ubiquitous human papillomavirus, is now well established. [25][26][27][28] As far as gender is concerned, the predominance is traditionally male with an overall sex ratio of 2.1 ranging from 5.2 for Central and Eastern Europe to 1.4 for North Africa, Western Asia and Oceania. 8 In Nairobi, Kenya, where the rate of oral cancer is one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, Parkin et al reported that the cumulative incidence of oral cancer is higher among women than among men.…”

Lymph nodes in the head and neck cancer: would diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging solve the diagnostic dilemma?

“…Tumors in the head and neck are including cancers in various anatomical sites including tumors of the oral cavity, nasopharynx, paranasal sinuses, and larynx [7]. Globally, tumors in the head and neck are recognized as one of the top five tumor types.…”

“…About 95% of head and neck cancer begins in squamous cells and known as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Alcohol and tobacco are the major risk factors for causing and developing this type of tumor; recently, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the human papillomavirus (HPV) are also considered other risk factors for the nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cancers respectively [7,10]. Computed tomography (CT), routine magnetic resonance imaging, and laryngoscopy are the most commonly used diagnostic techniques for that type of cancer [11].…”