The role of human papillomavirus in head and neck cancer in Senegal

Background: Exploring the presence and role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in head and neck cancer (HNC) is a necessary step to evaluate the potential impact of HPV prophylactic vaccines. Objective: To assess the prevalence and oncogenic role of HPV in HNC in Senegal. Methods: This is a multicenter cross-sectional study. Paraffin-embedded blocks of cases diagnosed with invasive HNC between 2002 and 2010 were collected from 4 pathology laboratories in Senegal. Presence of HPV DNA was determined by PCR and DEIA, and genotyping performed with LiPA(25). Tubulin analysis was performed to assess DNA quality. HPV DNA-positive cases were tested for p16(INK4a) expression. Findings: A total of 117 cases were included in the analysis: 71% were men, mean age was 52 years old (SD +/- 18.3), and 96% of cases were squamous cell carcinoma. Analysis was performed on 41 oral cavity tumors, 64 laryngeal tumors, 5 oropharyngeal tumors and 7 pharyngeal tumors. Only four cases (3.4%; 95% CI = 0.9%-8.5%) harbored HPV DNA. HPV types detected were HPV16, HPV35 and HPV45. However, among HPV-positive cases, none showed p16(INK4a) overexpression. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that HPV DNA prevalence in HNC in Senegal is very low, suggesting that HPV is not a strong risk factor for these cancers. Additional larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore other potential risk factors specific to the region.