title: Survival of patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer after radiochemotherapy is significantly enhanced.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence and clinical significance of HPV (Human papilloma virus) infection in patients with head and neck cancer who had received radiotherapy in Eastern Austria.
  
  
  METHODS
  88 patients with head and neck cancer including 26 patients with oral cavity cancer, 45 patients with oropharyngeal cancer, seven patients with laryngeal carcinoma and ten patients with carcinoma of the hypopharynx were screened for high risk HPV by immunohistochemistry, PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and in-situ hybridization. 29 out of 45 patients with a squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx received radiotherapy alone, radiotherapy in combination with cisplatin or cetuximab.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the investigated 29 patients with oropharyngeal cancer receiving conservative treatment, 11 had a HPV-positive and 18 a HPV-negative tumor. Patients received radiation ± cisplatin or cetuximab, where the HPV-positive patients had a significant better response to treatment and overall survival (p = 0.015) as well as disease-free survival (p = 0.001) after therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma and a positive HPV status respond considerably better to radiochemotherapy than patients with HPV-negative tumors. HPV screening is a simple procedure and can easily be implemented in routine pathology investigations and should be included in standard operational procedures for the diagnosis and therapy of head and neck cancer patients.
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Lill
authors: Gabriela
authors: G
authors: Kornek
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Bachtiary
authors: Edgar
authors: E
authors: Selzer
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Schopper
authors: Martina
authors: M
authors: Mittlboeck
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Burian
authors: Friedrich
authors: F
authors: Wrba
authors: Dietmar
authors: D
authors: Thurnher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000401:mortality*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000401:mortality*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult