If p16 testing is not performed, how is the case staged?

In cancer diagnosis and staging, p16 is a tumor suppressor gene often associated with the presence of certain types of HPV-related malignancies, particularly cervical and oropharyngeal cancers. If p16 testing is not performed, the classification and staging of the cancer must rely on alternative methods.

Staging according to p16 negative cancer suggests that the tumor is being evaluated based on its characteristics when the p16 status is not determined. Typically, if p16 is not tested, it may indicate that the clinician is proceeding with a more traditional approach to staging, which may not fully incorporate the nuances of p16 status.

Using this rationale, when p16 testing is not performed, the understanding of the disease's aggressiveness and potential outcomes shifts towards a classification reflective of negativity for the p16 marker. This means that the case is more likely to be treated or staged as if the cancer does not have the same implications as a p16-positive case, which is generally associated with a better prognosis.

In contrast, options that rely solely on histological grade and TNM classification do not specifically consider the implications that p16 status brings to staging, especially for HPV-related cancers. Histological grade assesses how malignant the cancer cells appear, while TNM classification