Abstract 3790: Molecular analysis of HPV genotype in head and neck cancers in a tertiary hospital in Ghana

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been implicated in head and neck cancers (HNC), and patients now present at a much younger age without a strong alcohol or tobacco history. This work aims to establish the prevalence of HPV in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in our center as very minimal work has been done in Ghana in this area. Method: The study was to detect HPV DNA and genotypes from histologically confirmed HNSCC. Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks and slides of HNSCC cases were retrieved consecutively. Genomic DNA was then prepared from 10μm FFPE tissue section using the Quick-DNATM FFPE kit. A nested multiplex PCR assay that combines degenerate E6/E7 consensus primers and type-specific primer was utilized for the detection of HPV genotypes (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 6/11, 42, 43 and 44) in three cocktails. Results: A total of 301 HNSCC cases were extracted from the surgical day book, with male preponderance of 72.1% and a mean age of 54.97 years. The most common site of occurrence was the oral cavity (28.9%), followed by larynx (26.2%). Majority of the samples of patients aged <30 years were poorly differentiated (65.7%). HPV E6/E7 oncogenic DNA was detected in 18% (n=100), with 17 being HPV-16 and 1 both HPV-16 and HPV-18. A higher prevalence of HPV-positive DNA was found in males (83.3%), and there was a trend towards patients older than 56 years likely to have HPV tumours (OR=1.378). Larynx was the commonest site for HPV-positive HNSCC (38.9%), followed by oropharyngeal site (33.3%). Conclusion: The overall prevalence of HPV DNA (genotypes 16 and 18) in our study was 18%, more common in younger people and mainly male. This suggests that males should be considered in screening and vaccination against HPV to prevent HNSCC. Citation Format: Babatunde M. Duduyemi, Francis A. Yeboah, Evans Aboagye. Molecular analysis of HPV genotype in head and neck cancers in a tertiary hospital in Ghana [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3790.