Cancers
Clinical Profile and Survival of Oropharyngeal Squamous-Cell Carcinoma in a Region of Northern Spain with a Low HPV-Attributable Fraction: A Retrospective Cohort Study
By Carlos Miguel Chiesa-Estomba, Maider Andueza‐Guembe, Droppelman‐Alvarez Paulina and 6 others.
Abstract
Background/Objectives: p16 immunohistochemistry is the standard surrogate for HPV causation in oropharyngeal squamous-cell carcinoma (OPSCC), but p16/HPV discordance is more frequent where the HPV-attributable fraction is low. We assessed the p16-positive fraction, p16/HPV-DNA discordance, and survival of OPSCC in northern Spain.
Methods
Retrospective cohort of 152 consecutive OPSCC (2019–2024). HPV-DNA PCR was performed selectively in p16-positive tumours; selection was assessed with a quantitative bias analysis. Overall survival (OS) was analysed with Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression.