title: Treatment response of HPV-positive and HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) is an important risk factor for development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Strikingly, HPV-positive HNSCCs have a more favorable prognosis than their HPV-negative counterparts. The current study was designed to explain this favorable prognosis of HPV-positive HNSCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was performed by investigating the response of four HPV-positive and fourteen HPV-negative HNSCC cell lines to cisplatin, cetuximab and radiation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of the responses of this cell line panel indicated that HPV-positive cells are more resistant to cisplatin treatment than the HPV-negative HNSCCs, whereas the response to radiation and cetuximab did not differ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study suggests that the favorable prognosis for patients with HPV-positive HNSCC does not seem to be related to an intrinsic sensitivity of these tumor cells to chemotherapy or radiation in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology/Head-Neck Surgery, VU Medical Centre, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Remco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nagel
authors.forename: Sanne R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Martens-de Kemp
authors.forename: Marijke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buijze
authors.forename: Gerbren
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Boudewijn J M
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Braakhuis
authors.forename: Ruud H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Brakenhoff
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D011878:Radiotherapy