Human papillomavirus detection in fine needle aspiration cytology of lymph node metastasis of head and neck squamous cell cancer.
Currently, testing on HPV in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is performed on histological material. However, in a certain percentage of the cases who present with lymph node metastases no primary tumor can be identified and only fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is available for analysis.



Purpose of this study was to assess HPV status on FNAC and to validate it using histological material of the same patients.



Patients with cervical metastasis from OPSCC or cancer of an unknown primary tumor (CUP), diagnosed between 2007 and 2012 were included. In 6 of the 47 patients, no primary tumor could be identified. HPV detection and genotyping was performed in both FNAC slides scrapings and formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) histological material from the same patients, using the HPV SPF10-LiPA25assay. HPV PCR analysis on FFPE material was considered the reference standard for HPV status of each case.



Compared with HPV negative cases (n=22), significantly more HPV positive cases (n=25) presented initially with cervical metastasis (27% vs 56% respectively; p=0·047). The HPV PCR assay on FNAC material showed a high sensitivity (96%; 95% CI 86.6-97.4) and specificity (100%; 95% CI 85.1-96.7) using the reference standard of HPV PCR analysis on FFPE material of the same patients.



In this study, testing on HPV in FNAC of cervical lymph node metastases of SCC is validated. It provides a valuable alternative for testing of HPV on histological material from patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma or cancer of an unknown primary tumor.
Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Robert P
RP
Takes
Department of Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Johannes H A M
JH
Kaanders
Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Carla M L
CM
van Herpen
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Matthias A W
MA
Merkx
Department of Pathology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Pieter J
PJ
Slootweg
Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: willem.melchers@radboudumc.nl.
Willem J G
WJ
Melchers
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000556:secondary / Q000821:virology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
Cytology; Head and neck; Human papilloma virus; Squamous cell carcinoma; Unknown primary tumor