Human papillomavirus in the mouth and throat: More widespread than expected?
Menée aux Etats-Unis à partir de données portant sur 16 644 patients atteints d'un carcinome de la tête et du cou, cette étude évalue l'association entre une infection par le papillomavirus humain et la survie globale des patients, par localisation cancéreuse (oropharynx, hypopharynx, cavité buccale, larynx)
In this issue of JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Li et al1 shows that human papillomavirus–positive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) may be associated with improved overall survival not only in the oropharynx but also possibly in the upper aerodigestive tract subsites—oral cavity, larynx, and hypopharynx. This finding is persuasive given the large sample size used, which was obtained from the National Cancer Database (NCDB), and the multivariate analysis performed. Previous studies with smaller sample sizes have similarly suggested the favorable prognostic role of HPV in cancer in nonoropharyngeal head and neck sites,2 although other studies have refuted this possibility.3
JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery , éditorial, 2017