2014/12/19 by Angela Hong, C. Soon Lee, D. Brian Jones +10 · 3 citations
Medicine · Dentistry · #Head and Neck Cancer Studies #Cervical Cancer and HPV Research #Oral Health Pathology and Treatment
paper · doi:10.1002/hed.23942
openalex publication_date 2014/12/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/03
BACKGROUND: This study provides Australian data on the characteristics of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) over the last 2 decades. METHODS: The HPV status of 515 patients with oropharyngeal SCC diagnosed between 1987 and 2010 was determined by HPV E6-targeted multiplex real time polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR) and p16 immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The HPV positivity rate increased from 20.2% (1987-1995) to 63.5% (2006-2010). Among HPV-positive oropharyngeal SCC over the study period, the median age increased from 55.4 years to 59.8 years (p = .004) and there was a trend of an increasing proportion of never smokers (19.2% to 34.0%). The use of radiation therapy (RT) in patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer increased from 26.9% to 68.1% (p = .007) and we also observed a trend of improved outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our data show a rising prevalence of HPV-positive oropharyngeal SCC in Australia over the last 2 decades. These patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal SCC are now presenting at an older age and about one third have never smoked.