Table 1.
Sociodemographic characteristics of oropharyngeal cancer cases and disease-free controls
| Cases (n = 101) | Controls (n = 101) | CMH (Exact) p-value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | n | % | n | % | |
| Race | |||||
| White | 94 | 93.1 | 77 | 76.2 | 0.0011 |
| Black | 5 | 5.0 | 19 | 18.8 | |
| Other | 2 | 1.9 | 5 | 5.0 | |
| Ethnicity | |||||
| Hispanic | 6 | 5.9 | 9 | 8.9 | 0.5929 |
| Non-Hispanic | 95 | 94.1 | 92 | 91.1 | |
| Age (years) | |||||
| Median (SD) | 60.0 (45) | 60.0 (45) | 1.0000 | ||
| 35–49 | 12 | 11.9 | 12 | 11.9 | |
| 50–59 | 29 | 28.7 | 29 | 28.7 | |
| 60–69 | 35 | 34.7 | 35 | 34.7 | |
| ≥70 | 25 | 24.7 | 25 | 24.7 | |
| Marital status | |||||
| Single/divorced/separated/widowed | 25 | 24.8 | 37 | 36.6 | 0.0929 |
| Married/cohabiting | 75 | 74.3 | 64 | 63.4 | |
| Refused or N/A | 1 | 0.9 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| Education | |||||
| High school (<12 years) | 27 | 26.7 | 13 | 12.9 | 0.1169 |
| Some college/vocational school | 32 | 31.7 | 37 | 36.6 | |
| College graduate | 20 | 19.8 | 30 | 29.7 | |
| Postgraduate/professional school | 21 | 20.8 | 21 | 20.8 | |
| Refused or N/A | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| Smoking status | |||||
| Never | 41 | 40.6 | 41 | 40.6 | 1.0000 |
| Current | 9 | 8.9 | 10 | 9.9 | |
| Former | 51 | 50.5 | 50 | 49.5 | |
| Pack-years smoking | |||||
| Never | 41 | 40.6 | 41 | 40.6 | 0.0950 |
| ≤5 | 9 | 8.9 | 22 | 21.8 | |
| 6–29 | 22 | 21.8 | 26 | 25.7 | |
| ≥30 | 28 | 27.7 | 12 | 11.9 | |
| N/A or refused | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| Alcohol drinks per occasion in the past month | |||||
| None | 41 | 40.6 | 28 | 27.7 | 0.0505 |
| 1–4 | 53 | 52.5 | 61 | 60.4 | |
| ≥5 | 7 | 6.9 | 12 | 11.9 | |
| Lifetime number of people kissed with tongue | |||||
| None | 6 | 5.9 | 9 | 8.9 | 0.1629 |
| 1–9 | 28 | 27.7 | 33 | 32.7 | |
| 10–24 | 26 | 25.7 | 23 | 22.8 | |
| 25–49 | 15 | 14.9 | 19 | 18.8 | |
| ≥50 | 22 | 21.8 | 13 | 12.9 | |
| N/A or refused | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 3.9 | |
| Gave oral sex in past 6 months | |||||
| No | 52 | 51.5 | 50 | 49.5 | 0.8844 |
| Yes | 43 | 42.6 | 45 | 44.6 | |
| N/A or refused | 6 | 5.9 | 6 | 5.9 | |
| Tonsillectomy | |||||
| No | 60 | 59.4 | 90 | 89.1 | <0.0001 |
| Yes | 40 | 39.6 | 11 | 10.9 | |
| N/A or refused | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| Time since tonsillectomy (years ago) | |||||
| Never removed | 60 | 59.4 | 90 | 89.1 | <0.0001 |
| <2 years | 5 | 5.0 | 11 | 10.9 | |
| 2–29 years | 2 | 1.9 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| 30+ years | 32 | 31.7 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| N/A or Refused | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| Gingivitis | |||||
| No | 78 | 77.2 | 71 | 70.3 | 0.3304 |
| Yes | 22 | 21.8 | 28 | 27.7 | |
| N/A or refused | 1 | 1.0 | 2 | 1.9 | |
| Teeth extracted prior to diagnosis | |||||
| 0 | 44 | 43.6 | 54 | 53.5 | 0.0558 |
| 1–9 | 31 | 30.7 | 35 | 34.7 | |
| ≥10 | 19 | 18.8 | 8 | 7.9 | |
| N/A or refused | 7 | 6.9 | 4 | 3.9 | |
| Tumor location | |||||
| Tonsil | 46 | 45.5 | |||
| Base of tongue (BOT) | 50 | 49.5 | |||
| Other oropharynx | 5 | 5.0 | |||
| Early or late disease presentation | |||||
| Early (T1–2 N0–1 [small tumors with only a single ipsilateral positive node <3 cm]) | 19 | 18.8 | |||
| Late | 82 | 81.2 | |||
| P16INK4a (IHC) | |||||
| Positive | 88 | 87.1 | |||
| Negative | 8 | 7.9 | |||
| N/A1 | 5 | 5.0 | |||
| HPV status in oral gargle (PCR) | |||||
| Any HPV type—positive | 92 | 91.1 | 33 | 32.7 | <0.001 |
| HPV 16—positive | 67 | 66.3 | 3 | 3.0 | <0.001 |
| HPV 18—positive | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2463 |
| HPV status in tumor (PCR) | |||||
| Any HPV type—positive | 96 | 95.0 | |||
| HPV 16—positive | 90 | 89.1 | |||
| HPV 18—positive | 3 | 3.0 | |||
| HR HPV (other than 16/18)—positive | 3 | 3.0 | |||
1
p16 staining was missing for five cases.