Prognostic Value of the P16/P53 Immunohistochemical Association in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinomas.

Cohort studyJournal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale· 2026

Prognostic Value of the P16/P53 Immunohistochemical Association in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinomas.

Antoine Lagadec, Nazim Benzerdjeb, Ariane Lapierre … Pierre Philouze

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Head & Neck & Endocrine PathologyCohort studyDiagnosisQ1IF 2.3

p16/p53 profile predicted HPV status in oropharyngeal cancer with near-perfect accuracy

Prognostic Value of the P16/P53 Immunohistochemical Association in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinomas.

Antoine Lagadec … Pierre Philouze

Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery · 2026

Background

IMPORTANCE: Accurate HPV status diagnosis is essential for managing oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose

We aimed to refine HPV status determination using a cost-effective and reliable approach by integrating the p53 immunohistochemical marker with the conventional p16 marker.

Methods

Design, Setting, Participants, and Exposures: This retrospective, single-center study included 285 patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (2017-2022) with known p16/p53 immunohistochemical profiles.

n = 285 patients

Results

the p16/p53 test correctly ruled out non-HPV cancers every time, with almost no missed HPV cases

98.48%

Sensitivity

100%

Specificity

More results

Patients with a p16+/p53WT profile had superior 5-year overall survival (82.2%; 108/131) and recurrence-free survival (79.4%; 104/131).

Patients with discordant profiles (p16+/p53MT, p16-/p53WT) had survival outcomes similar to HPV-independent oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

The p16/p53 immunohistochemical profile appears to be a reliable surrogate marker for HPV status and a strong predictor of survival. It could help identify discordant cases, helping prevent inappropriate therapeutic de-escalation.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

RELEVANCE: With the advancement of artificial intelligence, integrating additional markers into an algorithmic analysis could further refine patient classification and enable more personalized therapeutic approaches.

Prognostic Value of the P16/P53 Immunohistochemical Association in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinomas.

Prognostic Value of the P16/P53 Immunohistochemical Association in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinomas.

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