HPV as a marker for molecular characterization in head and neck oncology: Looking for a standardization of clinical use and of detection method(s) in clinical practice.

In the FFPE samples, the immunohistochemistry of p16, which is considered appropriate to assess HPV-driven carcinogenesis in OPSCC according to the 8th American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM classification, may not be specific enough to become the diagnostic standard in the perspective of treatment deintensification. p16 may play a safer role in combination with another highly sensible assay. Other promising approaches are based on DNA detection through real-time polymerase chain reaction and RNAscope.