Double positivity for HPV-DNA/p16ink4a is the biomarker with strongest diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value for human papillomavirus related oropharyngeal cancer patients

About a decade ago the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) established high-risk Human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) as a cause of oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) [1]. Since then, increasing amount of information on the role of HPVs in OPC has been generated. The IARC estimates that approximately 29,000 new HPV-related OPC cases occur every year, corresponding to 31% of the worldwide number of the overall incident OPC cases [2]. These estimates, as well as previous meta-analyses assessing the quantitative contribution of HPV, found high geographic heterogeneity in HPV-attributable fractions (AFs) of OPC, ranging from less than 20% in some world regions, 24% in Southern Europe to more than 60% in North America [3,4].

Source: Oral Oncology - February 2, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Marisa Mena, Miren Taberna, Sara Tous, Sandra Marquez, Omar Clavero, Beatriz Quiros, Belen Lloveras, Maria Alejo, Xavier Leon, Miquel Quer, Silvia Bagu é, Ricard Mesia, Julio Nogués, Montserrat Gomà, Anton Aguila, Teresa Bonfill, Carmen Blazquez, Marta Source Type: research