Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is the sixth most common type of cancer worldwide; 600,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. Infected with high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) types are particularly linked to oropharyngeal cancer. Among over 100 different HPV types, HPV-16 and HPV-18 are detected in the majority of HPV-positive SCCHNs. The p16 gene is often mutated in SCCHN, its overexpression is caused by the viral E7 protein. Consequently, p16 is assumed to be an indirect marker of HPV-induced SCCHN. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of p16 expression as a predictive marker of HPV infection in SCCHN tumors in a retrospective single-center study.

Oropharyngeal tumor samples from 45 patients (34 males, 11 females) were analyzed. Tumor samples were examined for HPV infection using a two-step PCR. p16 staining by immunohistochemistry was then performed.

Samples with strong p16 signal were typed HPV-16-positive. Out of 14 tumor samples with HPV-positive PCR results, 13 samples contained the high risk variant HPV-16. In one sample, HPV-6 DNA was detected. All HPV-16-positive tumors overexpressed p16 (p16(+++)), whereas the HPV-6 sample was p16-negative.

p16 is not a surrogate marker for replacing PCR testing, but both methods in combination, PCR and immunohistochemistry, could lead to a higher diagnostic validation.