Papillary squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract: A clinicopathologic and molecular study

Background The limited studies and the small number of published cases of papillary squamous cell carcinoma have precluded accurate assessment of the biologic characteristics of this lesion. Methods Thirty‐eight of the carcinomas were studied. In‐situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction were performed to detect human papilloma virus (HPV) and p53 expression. Results HPV was found in 4 of 14 assessable carcinomas by in‐situ hybridization and in 5 of 14 by polymerase chain reaction. The most frequently identified HPVs were HPVs in 6/11 and 16/18 patients. In general, a reciprocal relationship was found between p53 and HPV prevalence. The most lethal site for this tumor was the sinonasal tract, whereas patients with papillary squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx had the best outlook. Eleven of 25 (44%) assessable patients died of disease (mean time interval, 2 year). Conclusions Papillary squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract is a distinct variant of squamous cell carcinoma. As such and because of its putative association with HPV, papillary squamous cell carcinoma could be an informative model for defining how viral oncogenes cooperate with other factors in genomic instability, carcinogenesis, and tumor development. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 22: 360–368, 2000.