Prevalence of human papilloma virus in head and neck mucous squamous cell carcinoma and genotypes by location: an observational study

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a factor in oropharyngeal cancer, but data regarding other head and neck locations are scarce in France. The main objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of HPV in head and neck cancers at all locations. As a secondary objective, we aimed to investigate the HPV genotypes. We retrospectively included in a tertiary center between 2014 and 2020 mucosal squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck in adult. First outcome was the prevalence of HPV cancer. Secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS) at 2 and 5 years and disease-free survival (DFS). A total of 508 patients were enrolled, resulting in 537 cases of mucous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck ( n = 29 synchronous carcinomas). Clinical, pathological, and survival data were collected, and a double PCR for HPV with genotyping was performed on most of the samples. The HPV prevalence in the cohort was 28.2%, with HPV 16 being the predominant genotype (87%). However, HPV-positive status did not significantly improve OS at 2 and 5 years or DFS ( P = 0.1, P = 0.64, and P = 0.07, respectively). It was also observed that HPV-positive patients had significantly fewer second tumor localizations ( P < 0.01). The prevalence of HPV continues to rise, and the complexities surrounding HPV status and its association with clinical outcomes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma highlight the impact of vaccination.