Ait Addi R. Rates of p16 and p53 expression in head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma vary according to human papillomavirus status. World J Clin Cases 2025; 13(18): 104313 [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i18.104313]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Rachid Ait Addi, PhD, Assistant Professor, Senior Researcher, Department of Biology, Independent Senior Researcher, 1368 Rte Essaouira, N 03, Marrakesh 41020, Morocco. dr.rachid.aitaddi@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Jun 26, 2025; 13(18): 104313 Published online Jun 26, 2025. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i18.104313
Rates of p16 and p53 expression in head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma vary according to human papillomavirus status
Rachid Ait Addi
Rachid Ait Addi, Department of Biology, Independent Senior Researcher, Marrakesh 41020, Morocco
Author contributions: Ait Addi R was responsible for drafting and revision of the manuscript, read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Rachid Ait Addi, PhD, Assistant Professor, Senior Researcher, Department of Biology, Independent Senior Researcher, 1368 Rte Essaouira, N 03, Marrakesh 41020, Morocco. dr.rachid.aitaddi@gmail.com
Received: December 17, 2024 Revised: January 27, 2025 Accepted: February 8, 2025 Published online: June 26, 2025 Processing time: 72 Days and 12.9 Hours
Abstract
The strong association between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is well-documented, with p16 expression serving as a reliable predictor of HPV involvement. HPV-related tumors are characterized by distinct mechanisms affecting p16 and p53 protein pathways. However, the prevalence of HPV and the combined predictive utility of p16 and p53 expression in head and neck cutaneous SCC remain less explored, necessitating further research to understand their role in this subset of SCC. HPV, p16, and p53 statuses were determined using immunohistochemistry staining methods rather than more sensitive techniques such as polymerase chain reaction or HPV genotyping, limiting the ability to assess specific area HPV types potentially associated with prognosis. Further studies assessing multiple molecular markers in head and neck cutaneous patients will better predict the diverse outcomes and potentially the type of treatment targeted to those markers.
Core Tip: In this editorial, we comment on a retrospective cohort study published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Clinical Cases. The authors of this article aimed to highlight that p16, commonly used as a surrogate marker for human papillomavirus in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is not a reliable indicator in head and neck cutaneous SCC. This finding offers important insights for future research focusing on Asian populations.
