HPV positive tonsillar cancer in two laser surgeons: case reports.
A 53 year-old male gynecologist presented with human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 positive tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma. He had no identifiable risk factors with the exception of long term occupational exposure to laser plumes, having performed laser ablations and loop electrosurgical excision procedures (LEEP) on greater than 3000 dysplastic cervical and vulvar lesions over 20 years of practice. The second patient is a 62 year old male gynecologist with a 30 year history of laser ablation and LEEP who subsequently developed HPV 16 positive base of tongue cancer. He also had very few other risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer or HPV infection. HPV is a probable causative agent for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and has been reported as being transmittable through laser plume. This paper suggests that HPV transmitted through laser plume can result in subsequent squamous cell carcinoma.
Margo
M
Rioux
Saint John Regional Hospital, PO Box 2100, Saint John, New-Brunswick E2L 4 L2, Canada. agarland@nb.aibn.com.
Andrea
A
Garland
Duncan
D
Webster
Edward
E
Reardon
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D004598:Electrosurgery; D006176:Gynecology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology