Gene expression profiling of HPV-negative oropharyngeal cancers and Normal benign uvula, tonsil. Homo sapiens

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the fifth most common malignancy worldwide with an annual mortality rate of 200,000. About 90% of HNC can be classified as head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), of which approximately 75% are attributed to alcohol and tobacco consumption and 25 are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), predominantly HPV16. HPV-associated OPC have better prognosis and a more favorable response to therapy as compared to HPV-negative tumors. Differences in risk factors, age of presentation, clinical behavior and gene expression profiles indicate that HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumors develop via different molecular mechanisms and are biologically distinct. This study aimed to compare the gene expression profiles of HPV-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPC) and normal benign uvula/tonsil tissues and determine what biological processes and pathways are affected in HPV-negative OPCs. Overall design: ANALYSIS 6: Two-condition, one-color experiment: HPV-negative oropharyngeal tumor samples and normal benign uvula/tonsil tissues. Biological replicates: 16 HPV negtive samples and 4 Normal samples.