Human papillomavirus–related oropharyngeal cancer: HPV and p16 status in the recurrent versus parent tumor. Issue 1 (15th April 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vainshtein, Jeffrey; McHugh, Jonathan B.; Spector, Matthew E.; Walline, Heather M.; Komarck, Christine M.; Stenmark, Matthew H.; Prince, Mark E.; Worden, Francis P.; Wolf, Gregory T.; Bradford, Carol R.; Chepeha, Douglas B.; Carey, Thomas; Eisbruch, Avraham
• Is Part Of: Head & neck. Volume 37:Issue 1(2015:Jan.)
• Page Start: 8
• Page End: 11
• Publication Date: 2014-04-15
• Subjects: Head -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Neck -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Head -- Periodicals; Neck -- Periodicals; Face -- Periodicals; 617.51059
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.23548
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1043-3074

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="hed23548-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Although typically associated with a favorable prognosis, a minority of human papillomavirus (HPV)‐related (+) oropharyngeal cancers recur after chemoradiation. We postulated that a minor HPV‐negative tumor subfraction may be responsible for recurrences of HPV+ oropharyngeal cancer.</p> </sec> <sec id="hed23548-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Paired untreated primary and recurrent tumor specimens were identified for 37 patients with oropharyngeal cancer who received definitive chemoradiotherapy at our institution. Concordance in HPV/p16 expression between primary and recurrent tumors was assessed.</p> </sec> <sec id="hed23548-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Among 31 patients with HPV+/p16+ primary tumors, 30 (97%) retained evidence of both HPV and p16 expression at recurrence (27 HPV+/p16+; 3 HPV+/p16‐partial). One (3%) initially HPV+/p16+ patient developed an HPV‐negative/p16‐negative lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), representing either a discordant oropharyngeal cancer metastasis or second primary tumor.</p> </sec> <sec id="hed23548-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>HPV‐related oropharyngeal cancers retain HPV+/p16+ expression at recurrence. Our results fail to provide evidence that a minor HPV‐negative tumor subfraction is responsible for biologically aggressive behavior of HPV+ oropharyngeal cancer that recurs after chemoradiation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. <italic>Head Neck</italic><bold>37</bold>: 8–11, 2015</p> </sec> </abstract>