Impact of human papillomavirus status on survival in patients with oral cancer

Objectives

To examine the association between the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and overall survival rate in patients with oral cancer.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study examined HPV status in 454 patients who were diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) using the records of patients who underwent an initial treatment for OSCC between 2012 and 2021 at our institution as retrieved from the Cancer Registry database. The survival rates of the HPV-positive and HPV-negative groups were assessed and compared, and independent factors associated with survival were analyzed using multivariate Cox regression models.

Results

Of the 454 patients with OSCC included in this study, 73 were excluded for invalid HPV tests. Of the remaining patients, 39 and 342 patients were categorized into HPV-positive and HPV-negative groups, respectively. The prevalence of HPV-positive in the patients with OSCC was 10.2% (95% confidence interval 7.2%–13.2%). The 3-year overall survival rates were 56.2% and 53.9% in the HPV-positive and HPV-negative groups, respectively. The 3-year disease-specific survival rates in the HPV-positive and HPV-negative groups were 60.2% and 56.9%, respectively. The survival differences were not statistically significant. HPV-positive status was not a significant predictor of overall survival in the multivariable Cox regression analyses (p = 0.728).

Conclusion

The prevalence of HPV-positivity among patients with OSCC in the study was 10.2%. No association was found between HPV-positive status and 3-year overall survival in patients with oral cancer.

Level of evidence

Level 3.