Emerging Trends in the Pathological Research of Human Papillomavirus-positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Joshua Crane, Yale University School of Medicine; Qiuying Shi, Emory University; Yibo Xi, Yale University School of Medicine; Jinping Lai, Kaiser Permeante, Sacramento, CA, USA.; Kien Pham, Yale University School of Medicine; He Wang, Yale University School of Medicine
• Language: English
• Date: 2022
• Publisher: Emory University Libraries
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2022 The Author(s).
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.14218/jctp.2022.00004
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: J Clin Transl Pathol
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 2
• Start Page: 31
• End Page: 36
• Grant/Funding Information: This study was partly supported by an NIH SPORE grant: 1P50DE030707-01, National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR).
• Keywords: Novel therapeutics; DNA methylation; APOBEC3; Tumor microenvironment

Abstract

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) have shown an alarming rate of increase in incidence over the past several decades, markedly in men. In the United States, transcriptionally-active human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly HPV 16, has become the highest contributive agent of OPSCCs, affecting approximately 16,000 people a year. Compared to patients with HPV-negative OPSCCs, patients with HPV-positive OPSCCs exhibit better health responses to chemoradiotherapy and an overall increase in long-term survival. Despite promising treatment options, many OPSCCs are discovered at an advanced stage, and ~20% of cases will recur after definitive treatment. Therefore, extensive research is ongoing to identify new targets for precision treatment and to stratify tumor prognosis. The aim of this review is to capture the most updated research on HPV-positive OPSCCs, emphasizing their relevance as potential new targets for precision medicine and survival prognosis.