Human papillomavirus detection in gargles, tonsil brushings, and frozen tissues in cancer-free patients

Despite strong evidence of the implication of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the aetiology of oropharyngeal cancer, the detection of infection and its earliest sequelae lesions in the tonsil remains elusive. In our study of the natural history of HPV infection and precancerous lesions in the tonsils (SPLIT), we evaluated tonsil brushings of 692 French patients (median age 26, interquartile range 19 –35 years) and rinses/gargles (hereinafter referred to as “gargles”) from a subset of 268 adults who had all undergone tonsillectomy for non-cancerous reasons [1].

Source: Oral Oncology - May 11, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: J.D. Combes, C. Clavel, V. Dalstein, T. Gheit, G.M. Clifford, M. Tommasino, S. Franceschi, J. Lacau St Guily, for the SPLIT study group Tags: Commentary Source Type: research