The Prognostic Value of Human Papilloma Virus Infection in Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Meta‐Analysis

Objectives/Hypothesis Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection has been confirmed as a favorable prognostic factor in oropharyngeal cancer. However, the prognostic value of HPV in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is still unclear. Therefore, a systematic review and meta‐analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic value of HPV infection in OSCC patients. Study Design Systematic literature review with meta‐analysis. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines in PubMed, EMBASE, and MEDLINE databases. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS), disease‐free survival (DFS), disease‐specific survival (DSS), and secondary outcomes were local control (LC), regional control (RC), and distant control (DC). Results A total of 22 articles with 3065 OSCC patients were included in this study. Meta‐analysis demonstrated that compared to HPV‐negative OSCC patients, HPV‐positive OSCC patients had a significantly shorter OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.45, 95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.10–1.93) and lower DC (HR = 2.16, 95% CI, 1.54–3.04). There was no significant difference in DFS (HR = 1.20, 95% CI, 0.63–2.26), DSS (HR = 1.20, 95% CI, 0.63–2.26), LC (HR = 1.44, 95% CI, 0.97–2.14), and RC (HR = 1.50, 95% CI, 0.98–2.30) between HPV‐positive and negative OSCC patients. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the above results. Conclusions Our systematic review and meta‐analysis reveal that HPV‐positive is associated with significantly decreased OS and DC, suggesting HPV infection is an adverse prognostic factor in OSCC. Laryngoscope, 132:1760–1770, 2022