Human papillomavirus and risk of laryngeal cancer

We determined the relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the HPV types detected in 44 patients with squamous cell carcinoma, 10 laryngeal leukoplakia patients, and 12 patients evaluated for benign laryngeal conditions (controls). The sources of HPV DNA were from brushings from the upper respiratory tract and lesion (benign or malignant), oral rinses, and biopsies of patient lesions. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were used to identify and type HPV. We detected HPV in 25.0% (11/44) of patients with laryngeal cancer, in 30.0% (3/10) of patients with laryngeal leukoplakia, and in 16.7% (2/12) of noncancer controls. Patients with cancer were not more likely to be identified with oncogenic HPV types (18.2%) than either the leukoplakia group (20%) or the control group (16.7%). An increased risk of disease was associated with current tobacco use and former alcohol drinking in cancer patients versus controls and in leukoplakia patients versus controls (all p < .05). After we controlled for tobacco and alcohol effects on the risk of disease, exposure to oncogenic HPV types was associated with an increased risk of laryngeal cancer (odds ratio = 3.0) and of laryngeal leukoplakia (odds ratio = 6.0) compared to controls, although the results were not statistically significant. This study suggests that although HPV infection and HPV oncogenic types are not found at a higher frequency in laryngeal cancer or laryngeal leukoplakia as compared to controls, infection is associated with an increased risk of disease after controlling for the effects of alcohol and tobacco use.