Factors Related to Human Papillomavirus Positivity among Oral Cavity and Pharynx Cancers from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program Data

Abstract

Background: As human papillomavirus positive (HPV+) oral cavity and pharynx cancer (OCPC) incidence increases significantly, our objective was to determine if selected sociodemographic and clinical factors were associated with HPV+ OCPCs overall and by oropharyngeal and non-oropharyngeal sites. Methods: Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program data were used in this study. Specifically, univariate and logistic regression models were used to examine the relationships between HPV+ and HPV- OCPC cases and age, sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, factors of neighborhood socioeconomic status (i.e., nSES/Yost Index) and rurality/urbanity, first malignancy status, histology, reporting source, stage at diagnosis, and OCPC anatomic site. The same approach was used to identify risk factors for HPV positivity for oropharyngeal and non-oropharyngeal OCPCs separately. Results: In all OCPCs, cases that were male, <80 years old, lived in the four highest nSES categories, diagnosed with a non-“gum and other mouth” OCPC (ref=hypopharynx), not locally staged at diagnosis, and a first malignancy had higher odds of being HPV+. Cases that were American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian or Pacific Islander (ref=White), Spanish-Hispanic-Latino ethnicity, non-married/partnered, and not reported by a hospital/clinic had lower odds of being HPV+. Associations were maintained in oropharyngeal OCPCs and only age and race remained significant for non-oropharyngeal OCPCs. Conclusions: Sociodemographic and clinical differences in HPV+ and HPV- OCPC, overall and for (non)oropharyngeal, cases exist. Impact: Identification of OCPC and (non)oropharyngeal risk factors for HPV positivity may assist in discovering high-risk groups that should receive enhanced public health efforts to reduce the United States OCPC burden.

Impacto da infecção pelo Papilomavírus Humano (HPV) no desenvolvimento de lesões orais

“…Campanhas educacionais direcionadas a comunidades em maior risco podem aprimorar o conhecimento sobre a infecção pelo HPV oral, suas consequências e a importância da detecção precoce (WINDON et al, 2019;JORDAN et al, 2023).…”

“…Existem mais de 100 tipos de HPV identificados, e eles são classificados em grupo de alto e baixo risco com base em suas propriedades oncogênicas. Algumas cepas do vírus estão ligadas ao desenvolvimento lesões com potencial de malignidade, incluindo câncer do colo do útero, ânus, pênis, vulva, vagina e orofaringe (DOUGHETY et al, 2022;JORDAN et al, 2023).…”

“…Nesse procedimento é realizado por meio da biópsia excisional, onde o tecido da lesão é coletado para análise histopatológica. Essa conduta é um passo essencial para confirmar o diagnóstico e determinar se a lesão é benigna ou maligna (SYRJANEN, 2018;JORDAN et al, 2023).…”