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Open Access 01-12-2023 | Human Papillomavirus | Research

Sex-specific aspects in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a bicentric cohort study

Authors: Charlotte Klasen, Nora Wuerdemann, Pauline Rothbart, Johanna Prinz, Hans Nicholaus Casper Eckel, Malte Suchan, Christopher Kopp, Jannik Johannsen, Maria Ziogas, Arthur Charpentier, Christian Ulrich Huebbers, Shachi Jenny Sharma, Christine Langer, Christoph Arens, Steffen Wagner, Alexander Quaas, Jens Peter Klußmann

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2023

Background

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is the only subgroup of head neck cancer that presents with an increased incidence. Gender-specific studies in other cancer entities have revealed differences in treatment response and prognosis. However, only limited data in OPSCC according to gender and human papillomavirus (HPV) status exist. Therefore, we aimed to investigate sex-specific differences in OPSCC and how these may be distributed in relation to HPV and other risk factors.

Methods

This retrospective, bicentric study included 1629 patients with OPSCC diagnosed between 1992 and 2020. We formed subgroups based on TNM status, American Joint Cancer Committee 8^th edition (AJCC8), HPV status, treatment modality (surgery (± radio(chemo)therapy (RCT) vs. definitive RCT) and patient-related risk factors and investigated gender differences and their impact on patients survival via descriptive-,uni- and multivariate analysis.

Results

With the exception of alcohol abuse, no significant differences were found in risk factors between men and women. Females presented with better OS than males in the subgroup T1-2, N + , independent of risk factors (p = 0.008). Males demonstrated significant stratification through all AJCC8 stages (all p < 0.050). In contrast, women were lacking significance between stage II and III (p = 0.992). With regard to therapy (surgery (± R(C)T) – vs. definitive RCT) women treated with surgery had better OS than men in the whole cohort (p = 0.008). Similar results were detected in the HPV-negative OPSCC sub-cohort (p = 0.042) and in high-risk groups (AJCC8 stage III and IV with M0, p = 0.003).

Conclusion

Sex-specific differences in OPSCC represent a health disparity, particularly according to staging and treatment, which need to be addressed in future studies.

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Title: Sex-specific aspects in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a bicentric cohort study
Authors: Charlotte Klasen
Nora Wuerdemann
Pauline Rothbart
Johanna Prinz
Hans Nicholaus Casper Eckel
Malte Suchan
Christopher Kopp
Jannik Johannsen
Maria Ziogas
Arthur Charpentier
Christian Ulrich Huebbers
Shachi Jenny Sharma
Christine Langer
Christoph Arens
Steffen Wagner
Alexander Quaas
Jens Peter Klußmann
Publication date: 01-12-2023
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keyword: Human Papillomavirus
Published in: BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2023
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-023-11526-6

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