{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Diagnostic utility of high-risk human papillomavirus mRNA in situ hybridisation in squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary in the head and neck and implementing American Society of Clinical Oncology guideline recommendations.
{Author}: Daneshpajouhnejad P;Miller JA;Maleki Z;
{Journal}: Cytopathology
{Volume}: 31
{Issue}: 6
{Year}: 11 2020
{Factor}: 1.286
{DOI}: 10.1111/cyt.12896
{Abstract}: The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)-endorsed College of American Pathologists guideline recommends high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of lymph nodes level II/III of unknown primary. Herein, the performance of HPV-RNA in situ hybridisation (ISH) in detection of HPV-related SCC is evaluated implementing the ASCO guideline recommendations.<BR>Eighty head and neck (HN) SCC fine needle aspirations, which utilized HPV-RNA ISH/P16, were evaluated at Johns Hopkins Hospital (2015-2018) to investigate their performance and concordance with histology. The results were compared to a prior study of 59 HNSCCs, which HPV-DNA ISH.<BR>Of the 80 reviewed fine needle aspirations, 65 (50 male, 15 female) were included. The mean age was 63.2 ± 14.0 years. The most common site was neck lymph nodes (47, 72.3%). Fifty-five cases (84.6%) were accompanied by concurrent core biopsy, and 48 cases (59.4%) had surgical follow-ups. HPV-RNA ISH was positive in 44 (67.7%), and P16 was strongly positive in 46 (70.8%). The HPV-RNA ISH/ P16 concordance rate was 92.3% on cytology material. The cytology/surgical concordance rate for HPV-RNA ISH was 88.9% (16/18). There was a discordance between the results in five cases (7.7%; HPV-RNA ISH-/P16+).<BR>HPV-RNA ISH is a robust and reliable method for detecting HPV-related HNSCC on cytology material showing concordance rate of 92.3% between HPV-RNA ISH and P16, which is a sensitive but non-specific marker. Compared to HPV-DNA ISH, HPV-RNA ISH reproducibly identifies HPV-related HNSCC with fewer discrepancies between cytology and histology. The findings of this study are in agreement with the ASCO recommendations.