Moderate predictive value of demographic and behavioral characteristics for a diagnosis of HPV16-positive and HPV16-negative head and neck cancer

Abstract

Background-Patients with HPV-positive and HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are significantly different with regard to sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics that clinicians may use to assume tumor HPV status.

Biopsy vs. brushing: Comparison of two sampling methods for the detection of HPV-DNA in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity

“…And regarding association with common risk factors, our results supported the hypothesis that HR HPV-positive OSCC patients were more likely to be non-smokers than was the case with uninfected cases, as previously described. 9,[11][12][13] Similarly, data suggest that alcohol drinkers were more likely than non-drinkers to have tumours with HPV DNA and this finding has been described by other studies. 27,42 Smith et al 27 have demonstrated that alcohol abuse has an independent and synergistic effect on HPV infection: the risk of HNSCC was increased (OR: 18.8) among heavy alcohol users who had been detected HPVpositive than among drinker subjects who were HPV-negative.…”

“…Although smoking tobacco and alcohol abuse are the main risk factors, a fraction of patients with OSCC are non-smokers and non-drinker subjects, 9 and an HPV-induced carcinogenesis has been proposed 10,11 ; this particularly regards young patients and those with behavioural risk factors (a history of a high number of sexual partners and practising oral sex). 12,13 It has been reported in recent years that a significant share (about 60%) of oropharyngeal cancers (base of the tongue and tonsillar SCC) harbour HPV DNA and thus they could be HPV-related. [14][15][16][17] However, the role of HPV in the carcinogenesis of the oral cavity (strictly defined) continues to be a debated topic 16,18,19 due to the widest range of viral prevalence (0-100%) hereto reported, together with the identification of HR HPV in normal oral mucosa.…”

B7-H1 Expression Model for Immune Evasion in Human Papillomavirus-Related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…This is in contrary to the common misconception that HPV and smokingrelated carcinogenesis pathways are either partially or totally exclusive of each other. The larger literature also shows most HPV-related OSCC patients to be current or former smokers [2,8,[35][36][37][38][39], although it is clear that there are less overall smokers amongst the HPV-related cases and their amounts of exposure are less. Dysplastic changes secondary to tobacco smoke could be accompanied by aberrant expression of B7-H1.…”

Oral cancer aetiopathogenesis; past, present and future aspects

“…HPV-16 and HPV-18 and others are regarded as carcinogenic. HPV-16 and -18 have been the most common virus types identified in oral carcinoma (26)(27)(28)(29)(30) HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers appear to be less associated with tobacco or alcohol use, but more associated with marijuanha and oral sex, and to have a better prognosis (8,(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38).…”