Human papillomavirus and WHO type I nasopharyngeal carcinoma

✍ Scribed by Emily J. Lo; Diana Bell; Jason S. Woo; Guojun Li; Ehab Y. Hanna; Adel K. El-Naggar; Erich M. Sturgis

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 121 KB
• Volume: 120
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0023-852X
• DOI: 10.1002/lary.21089

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Objectives:

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare cancer in the United States. An association between NPC and Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) is well‐established for World Health Organization (WHO) types II and III (WHO‐II/III) NPC but less well‐established for WHO type I (WHO‐I) NPC. Given the rise in oropharyngeal tumors positive for high‐risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and the unique biology of WHO‐I NPC, we examined the relationship between HPV and WHO‐I NPC.

Study Design:

Retrospective case‐comparison study.

Methods:

A search of a large multidisciplinary cancer center tumor registry identified 183 patients seen from January 1999 to December 2008 with incident NPC and no prior cancer. Available paraffin‐embedded tumor specimens (N = 30) were analyzed for oncogenic HPV status by in situ hybridization (ISH) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HPV‐16 and HPV‐18; EBV status by ISH; and p16 expression by immunohistochemistry. Demographic parameters, including race and smoking, were obtained from the medical records.

Results:

Among the 18 WHO‐I NPC patients, 66% (N = 12) were smokers and 17% (N = 3) Asian; among the 165 WHO‐II/III NPC patients, 44% (N = 73) were smokers and 24% (N = 39) Asian. Eight WHO‐I NPC patients had available paraffin blocks; five of six were HPV‐16‐positive by PCR and four of eight were HPV‐positive by ISH; only two of eight (25%) were EBV‐positive. Twenty‐two WHO‐II/III NPC patients had available paraffin blocks; only 1 was HPV‐positive by ISH, and 13 of 22 (60%) were EBV‐positive.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that WHO‐I NPC is associated with oncogenic HPV, although larger studies are needed to verify these findings. Laryngoscope, 2010