Patients with HPV-related tonsil squamous cell carcinoma rarely harbour oncogenic HPV infection at other pharyngeal sites.

Objectives: Patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) have a reduced risk of developing second primary upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) tumours compared to patients with HPV-negative primary tumours at the same site. To determine whether this finding might be explained by a lack of viral-induced field cancerisation or multifocal infection, we investigated whether there was epithelial dysplasia and/or evidence of HPV infection at other pharyngeal mucosal sites in patients presenting with the disease.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-three patients with primary tonsil SCC and 108 pharyngeal endoscopic biopsies, representing at least one pharyngeal subsite from each patient, were included in this study.