Abstract
Background Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) exhibits distinct patterns worldwide, but its prevalence has not been extensively evaluated in Korea. The E7 oncogene-mediated carcinogenesis and its meaning are yet to be uncovered for oropharyngeal SCCs. Methods In a Korean oropharyngeal SCC cohort, epidemiological indicators, HPV, and G1 cell cycle marker expressions were correlated with survival. Results Among 93 surgically treated patients with oropharyngeal SCCs, 49.5% were HPV+, which were significantly younger, and predominantly nonsmoking. They demonstrated better survival than HPV- (94% vs 60%). Patients who were HPV+ with oropharyngeal SCCs expressed higher p16, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (cdk4), and lower pRb. The p16 (hazard ratio [HR] 2.39), pRb (HR 2.13), and CCND1 (HR 2.09) correlated with survival. Notably, combined markers like p16/cdk4 ratio (HR 2.47) and cdk4+CCND1 sum (HR 2.65) were more significantly correlated. Conclusion Incidence of HPV-related oropharyngeal SCC in Korea is similar to U.S.-European data. HPV presence correlates with improved survival. Expression ratios of G1 markers may predict survival of oropharyngeal SCCs better than each marker alone.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1408-1417 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Head and Neck |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- CCND1 protein
- cdk4 protein
- human papillomavirus
- oropharyngeal cancer
- p16 protein
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Otorhinolaryngology