HPV and oropharyngeal cancer research

Recent medical studies in Spain and South Korea have highlighted the growing role of Human papillomavirus (HPV) in oropharyngeal cancer cases.

In Spain, research presented at the 77th National Congress of the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery indicated that HPV is becoming a primary driver of these cancers, surpassing traditional risk factors like tobacco and alcohol. A study at Hospital Clínico San Carlos found that 53.8% of analyzed patients were p16 positive, with the positivity rate reaching 92.3% among those without classic risk factors. These patients were also found to be generally younger than p16-negative patients.

In South Korea, a study of patients treated between 2003 and 2023 found that while HPV type 16 was the most prevalent genotype at 74.7%, approximately 25.3% of cases involved other genotypes, such as types 33, 35, 58, and 18. Researchers noted that different genotypes correlate with varying clinical characteristics and survival rates. The study also observed a strong male predominance, with men accounting for 90.8% of cases, and suggested that expanding national vaccination programs to a 9-valent vaccine could improve preventive coverage.