High prevalence of discordant human papillomavirus and p16 oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas in an African American cohort.

BACKGROUND: Most studies on human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) have been performed on white Americans. Our study examined the incidence of HPV in an African American oropharyngeal SCC cohort and its survival. METHODS: African American patients with oropharyngeal SCC in a combined tumor registry were identified. HPV16 testing was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from DNA extracted from tumor blocks. The p16 staining was performed using standard immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Forty-four patients were identified for analysis. Seventy-three percent of the tumors were HPV-positive. Only 39% of the patients who were HPV-positive were also p16-positive. Survival between all 3 tumor types, patients who tested HPV-positive/p16, HPV-positive/p16-positive, and HPV-negative/p16-negative was significantly different (p = .03). HPV/p16 status was significant on univariate and multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: HPV oropharyngeal SCC is strongly present in this African American cohort. Two thirds of the patients who were HPV-positive were p16-negative. Greater study is needed to explain the high p16 negativity among this HPV-positive oropharyngeal SCC African American cohort. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E867-E872, 2016.

Beyond the black box: a systematic review of breast, prostate, colorectal, and cervical screening among native and immigrant African-descent Caribbean populations.

Cancer screening disparities between black and white groupings are well-documented. Less is known regarding African-descent subpopulations despite elevated risk, distinct cultural backgrounds, and increasing numbers of Caribbean migrants. A systematic search of Medline, Web of Science, PubMed and SCOPUS databases (1980-2012) identified 53 studies reporting rates of breast, prostate, cervical, and colorectal screening behavior among immigrant and non-immigrant Caribbean groups. Few studies were conducted within the Caribbean itself; most work is US-based, and the majority stem from Brooklyn, New York. In general, African-descent Caribbean populations screen for breast, prostate, colorectal, and cervical cancers less frequently than US-born African-Americans and at lower rates than recommendations and guidelines. Haitian immigrants, in particular, screen at very low frequencies. Both immigrant and non-immigrant African-descent Caribbean groups participate in screening less frequently than recommended. Studying screening among specific Caribbean groups of African-descent may yield data that both clarifies health disparities between US-born African-Americans and whites and illuminates the specific subpopulations at risk in these growing immigrant communities.