Detection of human papillomavirus in clinical samples.
The confirmation of human papillomavirus (HPV) as a causative agent for a subset of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck has resulted in a growing expectation for HPV testing in head and neck cancers. An increasing understanding of HPV-related tumorigenesis has informed this evaluation process in a manner that is moving wide scale, indiscriminant, and nonstandardized testing toward a more directed, clinically relevant, and standardized approach. This review addresses the current state of HPV detection and focuses on the importance, appropriate time, and need for HPV testing.
Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA. wwestra@jhmi.edu
William H
WH
Westra
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000821:virology*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction