The Prognostic Role of HPV Status Based on the Analysis of Outcomes of Combined Treatment of Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers

Background/Objectives: The aim of the paper is to assess the impact of HPV DNA on the survival and cure rates of patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancers who underwent surgery and subsequent adjuvant radiotherapy. Methods: The study group consisted of 28 patients (55%) with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and 23 patients (45%) with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx. All 51 patients underwent primary surgical treatment, extended by adjuvant radiotherapy in 33 patients (65%). Cases with cT2 (n=23; 45%) and cN0 (n=25; 49%) were the most common. Twenty-seven patients (53%) were HPV-positive, including 14 (27%) patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and 13 (25%) with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx. Twenty-one patients (41%) were HPV positive p 16 (+). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess 3-year overall survival (OS) and 3-year locoregional control (LRC) in the study group, depending on tumor location and HPV status. Results: The 3-year OS rates in the group of HPV-positive and HPV-negative patients with oral cavity tumors were 80% and 82%, respectively; p=0.965, while in the group of HPV-positive and HPV-negative patients with oropharyngeal cancer, the 3-year OS rates were 100% and 67.5%, respectively; p=0.045. In patients with oropharyngeal cancer, the 3-year LRC rates for HPV-positive and HPV-negative patients were 100% and 59%, respectively; p=0.059. In the group of patients with oral cavity cancer, 3-year LRC rates for HPV-positive and HPV-negative subjects were 55% and 52%, respectively; p=0.771. 3-year OS for HPV-positive p16 (+) and HPV-positive p16 (-) was 88% and 78%, respectively; (p=0.965). In the whole study group, HPV-negative patients were more often offered adjuvant treatment compared to HPV-positive patients. Conclusions: The 3-year OS rates of patients with cancers of the oral cavity and the oropharynx treated with combined therapy in the study group did not differ statistically significantly depending on HPV status. HPV-positive patients with oropharyngeal cancer had better 3-year OS and LRC rates compared to HPV-negative patients. Patients with HPV-dependent oropharyngeal cancer, no statistically significant improvement in 3-year OS was observed compared to patients with HPV p16 (+) vs HPV p 16 (-). However, in the group of patients with oral cavity cancer, HPV status did not show prognostic significance.