Resumen de HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinoma remains infrequent over 25 years in a Brazilian Oral Pathology Center: a cross-sectional study with literature review
Adriana Aparecida Silva da Costa, Rafael Soares Guieiro, Ingrid Gomes de Oliveira, Thalita Soares Tavares, Daniela Pereira Meirelles, Evânio Vilela da Silva, Anderson Tangerino Ferreira da Silva, Jorge Esquiche León, Maria Cássia Ferreira Aguiar, Patrícia Carlos Caldeira
The aim was to evaluate the frequency, clinicopathological features, and HPV status of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OP-SCC) and benign HPV-related epithelial lesions of the oropharynx over the last 25 years. Moreover, a literature review was performed to investigate HPV frequency in OP-SCC samples diagnosed in Brazilian Centers.
A cross-sectional study analyzed OP-SCC, squamous papilloma, verruca vulgaris, and condyloma accuminatum, diagnosed from 1997 to 2021. HPV status of OP-SCC was determined by immunohistochemistry and “in situ” hybridization. Bivariate statistics were performed (p≤0.05). For the literature review, MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched. Two independent reviewers assessed the studies for eligibility.
Cross-sectional: 211 OP-SCC (63.0%) and 124 benign lesions (37.0%) were included. OP-SCC frequency increased gradually over time, whereas benign lesions had steady trends. OP-SCC affected more males (n= 171; 81.0%), though the relative frequency in females rose over time. Smoking (n= 127; 60.2%) was common in OP-SCC. Nineteen OP-SCC (13.0%) were positive for HPV. HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumors had similar clinicopathological features (p>0.05). Benign lesions predominated in middle-aged (n= 32; 26.7%) women (n= 71; 57.3%), in the soft palate (n=101; 81.5%). Literature review: 32 studies were included, and in 60% of them, HPV frequency in OP-SCC was less than 25%.
OP-SCC prevalence has been increasing, and it was mostly associated with smoking and alcohol rather than with HPV infection in Brazil. Benign lesions had a stationary frequency over the evaluated period.
