Exploring the Use of Oropharyngeal Cancer Histology to Account for HPV Status in Population-based Studies.

AIM: To assess whether poorly differentiated tumors and non-keratinizing tumors have similar demographic and clinical characteristics as human papilloma virus (HPV)-positive tumors in patients with oropharyngeal cancer.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

The study cohort included patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma between 2004 and 2012 identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 Database.

RESULTS

Poorly differentiated tumors were associated with early T stage (odds ratio (OR)=1.23), nodal metastasis (OR=1.66) and tonsil fossa origin (OR=1.22). Non-keratinizing tumors were associated with early T stage (OR=1.23), nodal metastasis (OR=1.66) and tonsil fossa origin (OR=1.22). Poorly differentiated tumors were associated with improved overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio (HR)=0.78, p<0.001). Non-keratinizing tumors were associated with improved OS (HR=0.71, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Histological grade and keratinization may be useful surrogates to adjust for the effects of HPV status in oropharyngeal cancer studies utilizing population-based cancer databases.