Table 1.
Clinical and histopathological features in relation to active HPV infection
| Feature | All N (%)a | HPV + N (%)a | HPV- N (%)a | p-value (χ2 test)d | All N (%)c | HPV16 + N (%) | HPV- N (%) | p-value (χ2 test)d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 155 (100) | 32 (20.65) | 123 (79.35) | 151 (100) | 28 (18.54) | 123 (81.46) | ||
| Age | ||||||||
| ≤ 52 years | 51 (32.90) | 6 (18.75) | 45 (36.59) | 0.056 | 50 (33.11) | 5 (17.86) | 45 (36.59) | 0.057 |
| > 52 years | 104 (67.10) | 26 (81.25) | 78 (63.41) | 101 (66.89) | 23 (82.14) | 78 (63.41) | ||
| Gender | ||||||||
| Male | 130 (83.87) | 21 (65.63) | 109 (88.62) | 0.002 | 128 (84.77) | 19 (67.86) | 109 (88.62) | 0.006 |
| Female | 25 (16.13) | 11 (34.37) | 14 (11.38) | 23 (15.23) | 9 (32.14) | 14 (11.38) | ||
| Performance status in the Karnofsky scale | ||||||||
| ≤ 80% | 90 (58.06) | 12 (37.50) | 78 (63.41) | 0.008 | 89 (58.94) | 11 (39.29) | 78 (63.41) | 0.019 |
| > 80% | 65 (41.94) | 20 (62.50) | 45 (36.59) | 62 (41.06) | 17 (60.71) | 45 (36.59) | ||
| Tumour site | ||||||||
| Oral cavity | 25 (16.13) | 4 (12.50) | 21 (17.07) | 0.000 | 25 (16.56) | 4 (14.29) | 21 (17.07) | 0.000 |
| Oropharynx | 66 (42.58) | 27 (84.37) | 39 (31.71) | 62 (41.06) | 23 (82.14) | 39 (31.71) | ||
| Hypopharynx | 6 (3.87) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (4.88) | 6 (3.97) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (4.88) | ||
| Larynx | 58 (37.42) | 1 (3.13) | 57 (46.34) | 58 (38.41) | 1 (3.57) | 57 (46.34) | ||
| T stage | ||||||||
| 1 | 2 (1.29) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (1.63) | 0.041 | 2 (1.32) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (1.63) | 0.039 |
| 2 | 27 (17.42) | 9 (28.12) | 18 (14.63) | 26 (17.22) | 8 (28.57) | 18 (14.63) | ||
| 3 | 78 (50.32) | 19 (59.38) | 59 (47.97) | 76 (50.33) | 17 (60.72) | 59 (47.97) | ||
| 4 | 48 (30.97) | 4 (12.50) | 44 (35.77) | 47 (31.13) | 3 (10.71) | 44 (35.77) | ||
| N stage | ||||||||
| 0 | 32 (20.65) | 2 (6.25) | 30 (24.39) | 0.132 | 32 (21.19) | 2 (7.14) | 30 (24.39) | 0.228 |
| 1 | 28 (18.06) | 8 (25.00) | 20 (16.26) | 25 (16.56) | 5 (17.86) | 20 (16.26) | ||
| 2 | 84 (54.19) | 19 (59.38) | 65 (52.85) | 83 (54.97) | 18 (64.29) | 65 (52.85) | ||
| 3 | 11 (7.10) | 3 (9.37) | 8 (6.50) | 11 (7.28) | 3 (10.71) | 8 (6.50) | ||
| Grade | ||||||||
| 1 | 48 (30.97) | 10 (31.25) | 38 (30.89) | 0.329 | 48 (31.79) | 10 (35.71) | 38 (30.89) | 0.462 |
| 2 | 85 (54.84) | 20 (62.50) | 65 (52.85) | 81 (53.64) | 16 (57.15) | 65 (52.85) | ||
| 3 | 22 (14.19) | 2 (6.25) | 20 (16.26) | 22 (14.57) | 2 (7.14) | 20 (16.26) | ||
| Keratinization | ||||||||
| No | 64 (41.29) | 21 (65.63) | 43 (34.96) | 0.002 | 60 (39.74) | 17 (60.71) | 43 (34.96) | 0.012 |
| Yes | 91 (58.71) | 11 (34.37) | 80 (65.04) | 91 (60.26) | 11 (3.29) | 80 (65.04) | ||
| The level of smokingb | ||||||||
| ≤ 200 | 33 (21.29) | 16 (50.00) | 17 (13.82) | 0.000 | 31 (20.53) | 14 (50.00) | 17 (13.82) | 0.000 |
| > 200 | 122 (78.71) | 16 (50.00) | 106 (86.18) | 120 (79.47) | 14 (50.00) | 106 (86.18) | ||
| The level of drinking | ||||||||
| Low | 67 (43.23) | 23 (71.88) | 44 (35.77) | 0.000 | 64 (42.38) | 20 (71.43) | 44 (35.77) | 0.001 |
| High | 88 (56.77) | 9 (28.12) | 79 (64.23) | 87 (57.62) | 8 (28.57) | 79 (64.23) | ||
| Treatment | ||||||||
| Definitive CRT | 31 (20.00) | 13 (40.63) | 18 (14.63) | 0.000 | 29 (19.21) | 11 (39.29) | 18 (14.63) | 0.000 |
| Surgery + CRT | 10 (6.45) | 6 (18.75) | 4 (3.25) | 9 (5.95) | 5 (17.86) | 4 (3.25) | ||
| Definitive RT | 12 (7.74) | 2 (6.25) | 10 (8.13) | 12 (7.95) | 2 (7.13) | 10 (8.13) | ||
| Surgery + RT | 76 (49.04) | 6 (18.75) | 70 (56.92) | 76 (50.33) | 6 (21.43) | 70 (56.92) | ||
| Induction CT | 26 (16.77) | 5 (15.62) | 21 (17.07) | 25 (16.56) | 4 (14.29) | 21 (17.07) | ||
| Treatment outcome | ||||||||
| Alive at the last follow-up | 61 (39.35) | 24 (75.00) | 37 (30.08) | 0.000 | 58 (38.41) | 21 (75.00) | 37 (30.08) | 0.001 |
| Treatment failure | 7 (4.52) | 1 (3.13) | 6 (4.87) | 7 (4.63) | 1 (3.57) | 6 (4.87) | ||
| Local recurrence | 34 (21.94) | 2 (6.24) | 32 (26.02) | 34 (22.52) | 2 (7.14) | 32 (26.02) | ||
| Distant metastases | 16 (10.32) | 1 (3.13) | 15 (12.20) | 16 (10.60) | 1 (3.57) | 15 (12.20) | ||
| Death from other reasons | 37 (23.87) | 4 (12.50) | 33 (26.83) | 36 (23.84) | 3 (10.72) | 33 (26.83) | ||
aColumn percentage
bNumber of cigarettes per day x years of smoking
c151 patients (patients infected with other than HPV16 types were excluded)
dValues in bold indicate statistically significant differences between groups at the p < 0.05 level