HPV increasingly linked to oropharyngeal cancer cases

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is increasingly becoming a primary driver of oropharyngeal cancer, overtaking traditional risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol consumption. This epidemiological shift was highlighted in a study presented at the 77th National Congress of the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC).

The study, conducted at the Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid, analyzed 48 patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal neoplasia between 2020 and 2025. Researchers used p16 analysis as a marker to study the association with HPV. The findings revealed that 53.8% of patients were p16 positive. Notably, the positivity rate reached 92.3% among patients without classic risk factors, compared to only 34.6% among those who did consume tobacco or alcohol.

Additional data indicated that HPV-positive patients were generally younger, with an average age of 59.7 years, compared to an average of 64.4 years for p16-negative patients. This aligns with scientific literature suggesting that HPV-associated tumors tend to affect a younger demographic.