ECP 2026: Is HPV-Specific Testing Optimized in Throat Cancer?

Cost and turnaround times are a potential challenge to standardization of testing and optimization of patient pathways

September 14, 2026
2 min

The Pathologist

Overview

A survey of head and neck pathologists in the UK and Ireland indicates limited in-house access to HPV-specific testing for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, with significant variability in practice. Barriers such as cost and turnaround times persist.

Background

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has distinct clinical subtypes, notably HPV-associated and HPV-independent, which have differing prognoses. Accurate HPV status determination is crucial for treatment decisions and patient outcomes. The current reliance on P16 immunohistochemistry as a surrogate marker raises questions about the standardization and accessibility of HPV-specific testing.

Data Highlights

Finding	Percentage
Access to P16 immunohistochemistry	100%
Access to HPV-specific testing	91%
In-house access to HPV-specific testing	25%
Median turnaround time for HPV-specific testing	14 days
Median turnaround time for P16 immunohistochemistry	2 days
Pathologists requesting HPV-specific testing based on clinical suspicion	36%

Key Findings

100% of surveyed pathologists had access to P16 immunohistochemistry in-house.
91% reported access to HPV-specific testing, primarily PCR.
Only 25% had in-house access to HPV-specific testing.
The median turnaround time for HPV-specific testing was 14 days, compared to 2 days for P16 immunohistochemistry.
36% of pathologists requested HPV-specific testing based on clinical suspicion.
Barriers to HPV-specific testing include cost and turnaround times.

Clinical Implications

The findings highlight the need for improved access to HPV-specific testing in clinical practice to enhance diagnostic accuracy. Addressing the barriers related to cost and turnaround times is essential for standardizing patient pathways in the management of OPSCC.

Conclusion

The variability in HPV-specific testing practices across the UK and Ireland underscores the necessity for efforts to standardize testing and improve accessibility in order to optimize patient care.