Human Papilloma Virus Attributable Head and Neck Cancer in the Sudan Assessed by p16INK4A Immunostaining

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> The aim of this study was to screen for human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in head andneck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) using P16 immunostaining. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: A retrospectivestudy was performed on 150 samples from patients diagnosed with HNSCCs. HPV status was determined usingp16INK4A. <br/><b>Results</b>: 31 of the 150 (20.7%) HNSCCs were HPV positive. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: A large proportion of HNSCCsin Sudan are associated with HPV infection. The fact that the prevalence of HPV is high among Sudanese patientswith head and neck cancers (HNC) has obvious implications for vaccine therapy.