• 6/1/2007
  • Marietta, GA
  • Martha Kerr
  • Matria HealthCare (www.cancerpage.com)

While the risk of head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC) is higher in those with human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 seropositivity, survival among such patients is higher than among those with HPV-seronegative HNSCCs.

“Our work supports the emerging data that HPV16-positive HNSCC is a distinct form of the disease,” lead author Dr. Karl T. Kelsey of Harvard University told Reuters Health. “It absolutely supports wider use of the (HPV) vaccine, as more men than women get HNSCC.”

Dr. Kelsey and colleagues elsewhere in Boston conducted a case-control study of 486 patients with incident HNSCC and 550 matched controls. They report their findings in the June 1st issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

Participants were tested for HPV 16 L1 protein. Tumors were assessed for HPV 16 DNA. Patients who were HPV-seropositive had a 1.5-fold higher risk of oral cavity cancers and a six-fold higher risk of pharyngeal tumors.

There was a dose-response relationship between HPV 16 titer, HPV 16 DNA and increasing risk of HNSCC.

HPV 16 DNA and HPV-seropositivity were significantly associated with sexual activity. HPV 16 DNA had an odds ratio of 12.8 and HPV-seropositivity had an odds ratio of 3.7 for more than 10 oral sexual partners. HPV 16 DNA and HPV-seropositivity had odds ratios of 4.5 and 3.2, respectively, for a high number of lifetime sexual partners.

HPV-seropositivity had a hazard ratio of 0.4 and HPV 16 DNA a hazard ratio of 0.5 “indicating better survival for HPV-positive individuals,” the investigators note.

“Our findings further suggest that HPV is sexually transmitted to the oral cavity and that HPV DNA and serology-positive tumors are associated with improved overall patient survival,” they add.

Source:
Int J Cancer 2007;120:2386-2392.