Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an important risk factor in a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), but the association with oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas (OCSCC) remains controversial. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of HPV infection in OCSCC. A systematic search on PubMed and EMBASE was performed, including articles assessing the prevalence of HPV-positive (HPV+) OCSCC published from January 2017 to December 2022. OCSCC was considered HPV+ by the detection of HPV DNA, HPV RNA, and/or p16 overexpression in the tumor mass. A meta-analysis was made determining the overall HPV+ OCSCC prevalence. We included 31 studies comprising 5007 patients from 24 countries. The study size ranged from 17 to 940 patients. The HPV+ OCSCC proportion variated widely and ranged from 0% to 37%. Tumors in the tongue were the predominant sublocation for HPV in the oral cavity. The meta-analysis revealed that the overall HPV+ OCSCC prevalence is 6% (95% CI; 3–10%), and only one study found HPV and OCSCC significantly associated. Thus, HPV may not be a necessary or a strong risk factor in OCSCC oncogenesis, and the possibility of a site misclassification of a mobile tongue with the root of the tongue cannot be excluded.

Significant variation in human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) across countries ranging from 11% in Brazil to 74% in New Zealand has been reported earlier. The aim of this study was to systematically review the most recently published studies on the occurrence of HPV in OPSCC globally. PubMed and Embase were systematically searched for articles assessing the occurrence of HPV+ OPSCC published between January 2016 and May 2021. Studies with a study period including 2015 and the following years were included. Both HPV DNA and/or p16 were accepted as indicators of HPV+ OPSCC. 31 studies were enrolled comprising 49,564 patients with OPSCC (range 12–42,024 patients per study) from 26 different countries covering all continents. The lowest occurrences of HPV+ OPSCC were observed in India (0%) and Spain (10%) and the highest occurrences were observed in Lebanon (85%) and Sweden (70%). We observed great variation in HPV prevalence in OPSCC worldwide varying from 0% to 85%. The highest occurrences of HPV+ OPSCC were found in general in Northern European countries, USA, Lebanon, China, and South Korea. We observed a trend of increase in HPV-positivity, indicating a mounting burden of HPV+ OPSCC.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) imposes an increased risk of developing cervical, anal and oropharyngeal cancer. In the Western world, HPV infection is currently the major cause of oropharyngeal cancer. The effectiveness of HPV vaccines for oral or oropharyngeal HPV infection is yet to be determined. This study conducted a systematic literature search in Pubmed and Embase. Studies investigating the impact of HPV vaccines on oral or oropharyngeal HPV infection were enrolled. This review reports the relative prevention percentage (RPP), including a risk of bias assessment as well as a quality assessment study. Nine studies were included (48,777 participants): five cross-sectional studies; one randomized community trial study (RCT); one longitudinal cohort study; and two case-control studies. A significant mean RPP of 83.9% (66.6–97.8%) was calculated from the cross-sectional studies, 82.4% in the included RCT and 83% in the longitudinal cohort study. Further, two case-control studies that measured antibody response in participants immunized with HPV vaccines were included. Respectively, 100% and 93.2% of participants developed HPV-16 Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in oral fluids post-vaccination. Analysis of the studies identified a significant decrease in vaccine-type oral or oropharyngeal HPV infections in study participants immunized with HPV vaccines across study designs and heterogenous populations. Further, a significant percentage of participants developed IgG antibodies in oral fluid post-vaccination.

Background: The purpose of the study was to determine trends in age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR) and survival probability in head and neck cancers (HNCs) in the Danish population from 1980 to 2014. Material and methods: All patients registered with HNC in the nationwide Danish Cancer Registry from 1980 to 2014 were included. We evaluated the AAIR per 100,000 and the average annual percent change (AAPC). The relative survival probability at 5 years was calculated in relation to gender, anatomical location and histology, and we constructed age-period-cohort models of incidence. Results: About 34,606 patients were included (64.7% men). The AAIR increased from 9.1 per 100,000 in 1980 to 17.4 per 100,000 in 2014 with an AAPC of 2.1%. The greatest incidence increase was observed in oropharyngeal cancer (AAPC: 5.4%) followed by hypopharyngeal cancer (AAPC: 4.2%). Adenocarcinomas had the highest AAPC (5.0%) followed by squamous cell carcinomas (AAPC: 2.0%). The AAPC was significantly higher in women (2.4%) compared with men (1.6%). For all HNC patients, the relative survival at 5 years rose significantly from 49.0% in 1980–1984 to 62.4% in 2010–2014. Women had a significantly higher survival than men with a relative survival of 61.7% compared to 50.0% in men. Laryngeal cancer had the best survival probability of cancers in the upper aerodigestive tract with hypopharyngeal cancer having the poorest survival. Conclusion: This nation-wide study showed a significant rise in incidence of HNC for men and women along with a significant increase in relative survival. Oropharyngeal cancer had the highest increase in incidence followed by hypopharyngeal cancer which showed the poorest survival of HNCs.