HPV16 variant lineage, clinical stage, and survival in women with invasive cervical cancer

Abstract Background HPV16 variants are associated with different risks for development of CIN3 and invasive cancer, although all are carcinogenic. The relationship of HPV 16 variants to cancer survival has not been studied. Methods 155 HPV16-positive cervical cancers were categorized according to European and non-European variant patterns by DNA sequencing of the E6 open reading frame. Clinico-pathologic parameters and clinical outcome were collected by chart review and death registry data. Results Of the 155 women (mean age 44.7 years; median follow-up 26.7 months), 85.2% harbored European variants while 14.8% had non-European sequences. HPV16 variants differed by histologic cell type (p = 0.03) and stage (1 vs. 2+; p = 0.03). Overall, 107 women (68.0%) were alive with no evidence of cancer, 42 (27.1%) died from cervical cancer, 2 (1.3%) were alive with cervical cancer, and 4 (2.6%) died of other causes. Death due to cervical cancer was associated with European variant status (p Conclusions Overall, invasive cervical cancers with non-European variants showed a less aggressive behavior than those with European variants. These findings should be replicated in a population with more non-European cases.</p