South Korean study finds non-HPV 16 types in 25% of oropharyngeal cancer cases

A research team led by professors Cha Won-jae of Bundang Seoul National University Hospital and Jin Si-yeon of Seoul National University Hospital has released findings regarding HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in South Korea. Analyzing 174 patients treated between 2003 and 2023, the study revealed that 25.3% of patients were infected with HPV genotypes other than the commonly studied type 16.

While type 16 was the most prevalent at 74.7%, other significant types included type 33 (6.3%), type 35 (4.6%), type 58 (3.4%), and type 18 (3.4%). The research highlighted that different genotypes correlate with varying clinical characteristics and prognoses. Specifically, patients with type 33 showed higher lymph node stages at diagnosis compared to type 16, while those with type 35 exhibited lower overall survival rates.

The study also noted a strong male predominance, with men accounting for 90.8% of the cases. Researchers suggested that expanding the national HPV vaccination program from the current 4-valent vaccine to a 9-valent vaccine could broaden preventive coverage against these diverse high-risk genotypes.