Human Papillomavirus and p16 in Oropharyngeal Cancer and Their Relationship to Tobacco Use

Objectives:Over the last decade, there has been a vast amount of research establishing the link between human papillomavirus (HPV) and oropharyngeal cancer. It has been hypothesized now that two distinct forms of oropharynx cancer exist: HPV associated disease and carcinogen induced. Correlation between oncologic outcomes and HPV status is ongoing. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between HPV markers and carcinogen status.Methods:Clinical data were collected both retrospectively and prospectively for 151 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx. Main clinical outcome measures included tobacco status (pack-years and CMS tobacco groupings) and alcohol use history. All tumors were evaluated for p16 by monoclonal antibody immunohistochemistry assay. HPV DNA was detected by in-situ hybridation probes for low and high risk subtypes. Statistical analysis was done by Pearson’s Chi-Squared analysis for tobacco use.Results:Patients with p16+ tumors or HPV+ tumors had sig...