The impact of human papillomavirus infection on the survival and treatment response of patients with esophageal cancers

Objective This study aimed to investigate the impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection on the prognosis and treatment response of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods We examined the presence and subtypes of HPV in the tumors by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing in 150 ESCC patients. Their clinicopathological characteristics, treatment response and survival were further analyzed according to the presence of HPV infection. Results Of 150 ESCC tumor samples, 27 (18.0%) were HPV‐positive, of which 22 (81.5%) had HPV‐16 infection. The risk of developing multifocal ESCC was not significantly different in the HPV‐positive and HPV‐negative groups (29.6% vs 28.5%, P = 0.90). In subgroup analysis, patients with HPV‐16‐positive advanced ESCC had a significantly better survival than those with HPV‐negative ESCC (3‐year survival: 55% vs 21%, log–rank P = 0.03). Cox proportional hazards model showed that the presence of HPV‐16 was associated with a significant reduction in the mortality rate (hazard ratio 0.41, 95% CI 0.18–0.96). Patients with HPV‐16 infection had better response to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) than those without HPV‐16 infection (P = 0.026). Conclusions In patients with advanced ESCC, HPV‐16‐positive patients had a significantly favorable survival, especially those who received CRT. Larger scale studies are needed to determine the causal relationship.