Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




HPV, p16 Offers Different Prognostic Clues in Oropharyngeal Cancer

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 07 Oct 2020
Human papillomavirus infection (HPV infection) is an infection caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), a DNA virus from the Papillomaviridae family. More...
About 90% of HPV infections cause no symptoms and resolve spontaneously within two years.

Human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-positive OPC or HPV+OPC), is a squamous cell carcinoma of the throat caused by the human papillomavirus type 16 virus. Detection of a tumor suppressor protein, known as p16, is commonly used to diagnose an HPV associated OPC.

Oncologists at the Catalan Institute of Oncology (Barcelona, Spain) retrospectively analyze clinical features and outcomes in relation to p16 and HPV status in more than 7,700 individuals with oropharyngeal cancer enrolled in 13 cohorts from sites in nine European or North American countries. HPV and p16 were measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the HPV DNA in situ hybridization (ISH) assay, respectively which can identify clusters of oropharyngeal cancers that appear to be at intermediate risk of recurrence or death compared to tumors that are p16-positive and HPV-positive and those lacking both markers.

IHC profiling is a sensitive approach for picking up p16, a surrogated marker for HPV, albeit with reduced specificity, since that host protein sometimes has enhanced expression even in the absence of HPV infection. On the other hand, the DNA ISH test is less sensitive, since it depends to some extent on the viral load, though it is also far more specific for finding risky HPV strains. Based on analyses done at a centralized site, the team classified 416 cases as p16-positive and HPV-negative, while 279 individuals with oropharyngeal cancer had p16-negative tumors testing positive for HPV by DNA ISH. The remaining patients included 3,598 with p16-negative and HPV-negative tumors and 3,409 cases classified as positive for both markers.

Nearly 90% of the p16-negative, HPV-negative cancers occurred in smokers, compared to a smoking rate of 62% in the patients with p16-positive, HPV-positive tumors. Notably, the cases showing discordant p16 and HPV marker status had smoking history in between these two groups. The team also saw a range of treatment interventions, including an uptick in surgeries and palliative care in the p16- and HPV-negative cases, followed by cases with HPV but not p16. When the investigators looked at overall survival in the biomarker-defined groups of stage III or IVa/b, locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer cases, they found that significantly more patients with p16- and HPV-positive tumors were alive after five years, whereas outcomes were more dire for the p16- and HPV-negative cases.

Miren Taberna, MD, a clinical oncologist and senior author of the study, said, “Using p16 staining alone, 11% of oropharyngeal cancer patients would be incorrectly classified as HPV-related, suggesting incorrect prognostic conclusions could be drawn from p16 testing alone, which would potentially place these patients in a de-escalation group inappropriately.” The study was presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology's Virtual Congress held in September 2020.

Related Links:
Catalan Institute of Oncology


Gold Member
Flocked Fiber Swabs
Puritan® Patented HydraFlock®
Serological Pipet Controller
PIPETBOY GENIUS
New
Human Estradiol Assay
Human Estradiol CLIA Kit
New
Blood Glucose Test Strip
AutoSense Test
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: The ONC IN-CYT platform leverages cross indication biomarker cyto-signatures (Photo courtesy of OraLiva)

AI-Powered Cytology Tool Detects Early Signs of Oral Cancer

Each year, 54,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer, yet only 28% of cases are identified at an early stage, when the five-year survival rate exceeds 85%. Most diagnoses occur in later stages, when... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The microfluidic device for passive separation of platelet-rich plasma from whole blood (Photo courtesy of University of the Basque Country)

Portable and Disposable Device Obtains Platelet-Rich Plasma Without Complex Equipment

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) plays a crucial role in regenerative medicine due to its ability to accelerate healing and repair tissue. However, obtaining PRP traditionally requires expensive centrifugation... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: PD-1 protein blockade is the standard treatment for advanced melanoma among the different types of immunotherapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Precision Tool Predicts Immunotherapy Treatment Failure in Melanoma Patients

Melanoma, though accounting for only about 4% of skin tumors, is the deadliest form of skin cancer due to its high potential to metastasize. While immunotherapy, especially PD-1 protein blockade, has revolutionized... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.