Accurate determination of human papilloma virus (HPV) status is critical when identifying patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) who may be candidates for de-escalation trials. In this study we investigated whether local p16 screening, by immunohistochemistry (IHC), has high positive predictive value (PPV) for HPV status in a good prognosis HPV positive OPSCC (HPVOPSCC) population treated on a clinical trial.
Patients enrolled on the TROG 12.01 randomised trial for good prognosis HPVOPSCC were randomised based on local p16 IHC testing but subsequently had central p16 IHC and HPV RNA in situ hybridisation (HPV RNA ISH) testing. Correlations between the local and central p16 and central HPV RNA ISH were studied. The main outcome was the positive predictive value (PPV) of local pathology laboratory testing of p16.
176/182 patients had samples available for central testing. 172/176 were evaluable for central testing of p16, and all were confirmed to be p16 positive (172/172, 100%, 95% CI = [97.9%, 100%]). Similarly, 100% of those evaluable for HPV RNA ISH (155/155, 100%, 95% CI = [97.6%, 100%]) were confirmed HPV positive, indicating p16 overexpression driven by transcriptionally active HPV and a PPV of 100% for local p16 testing.
Our results validate the suitability of local pathology laboratory p16 testing alone, in populations with a high attributable fraction of OPSCC due to HPV, to screen and enrol low risk HPVOPSCC patients onto de-intensification trials. This obviates the need for upfront more complex and expensive HPV assays and/or central laboratory testing.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is related to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in endemic areas; however, the role of viruses in nonendemic countries is unclear. Our nationwide study investigated the prevalence and prognostic significance of EBV and human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in Finnish NPC tumors.
We analyzed samples from 150 patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2009. Viral status was determined using EBV and HPV RNA in situ hybridizations, and p16 immunohistochemistry. Patient and treatment characteristics were obtained from patient records.
In our white patient cohort, 93 of 150 (62%) patients were EBV-positive and 21/150 (14%) patients were HPV-positive with no coinfections. Thirty-six (24%) tumors were negative for both viruses. The 5-year disease-specific survival for patients with EBV-positive, HPV-positive, and EBV/HPV-negative tumors was 69%, 63%, and 39%, respectively. In multivariable-adjusted analysis, overall survival was better among patients with EBV-positive (P = .005) and HPV-positive (P = .03) tumors compared to patients with EBV/HPV-negative tumors.
In our low-incidence population, EBV and HPV are important prognostic factors for NPC.

Summary Akin to cervical cancer in sexually-active women, men who have sex with men (MSM) are predisposed to anal cancers, especially those with HIV co-infection. This cross-sectional study endeavored to assess the prevalence of anal dysplasia using Pap smears and p16 immunostaining amongst Indian MSM. A total of 31 consecutive HIV-positive and 34 HIV-negative MSM, from a cohort of sexually transmitted infection clinic attendees, underwent anal cytological evaluation with Pap smear and p16 staining. Chi square test and coefficient of correlation were used for comparison. Eighteen (27.7%) had abnormal anal cytology; increased in HIV-positive as compared to HIV-negative men (35% versus 20%, p = 0.180). Similarly, both low-grade (25.8% versus 17.6%) and high-grade lesions (8.3% versus 4.8%) were comparable in HIV-positive and HIV-negative group. Thirteen (20%) smears were p16-positive with a sensitivity and specificity for anal dysplasia of 72.3% and 100%, respectively. Anal cytology may be used to screen for anal dysplasia in MSM irrespective of HIV status. Furthermore, the addition of p16, with greater specificity for high-grade lesions, may improve diagnostic accuracy especially for high-grade lesions. A larger study to further corroborate these observations is warranted.