The effectiveness of HPV vaccination on the incidence of oropharyngeal cancers in men: a review

Abstract

Background Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) contributes to the development of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) and is currently the leading cause of OPC in the Western world. There have been limited studies examining the effect of HPV-vaccination on OPC incidence in men. This review aims to interrogate relationship linking HPV-vaccination and OPC in men, to potentially recommend pangender HPV-vaccination, to reduce the incidence of HPV associated OPC. Main Body A review was carried out using Ovid Medline, Scopus and Embase databases, on 22nd October 2021 investigating the effect of HPV-vaccination on OPC prevalence in men and including studies with vaccination data pertaining to men in the past 5 years, while excluding those studies without appropriate oral HPV-positivity data and non-systematic reviews. Studies were evaluated as per the PRISMA guidelines and ranked using risk of bias tools including RoB-2, ROBINS-1 and the NIH quality assessment tools. 7 studies were included ranging from original research to systematic review articles. All studies were published in English from 2017 to 2021. Overall, these suggested that HPV-vaccination reduced levels of oral HPV positivity in men. This was thought to be indicative of a reduced risk of development of HPV-associated OPC. A limitation of this study was the inability to conduct meta-analysis due to the heterogeneity of included studies. We noted a significant impact on the reduction of HPV positivity post HPV-vaccination and a potential contribution to reducing the future incidence of OPC. Conclusion This review makes a strong case for pangender HPV-vaccination in combatting OPC in men.

Oral and periodontal manifestation related during human papilloma virus infections: Update on early prognostic factors

“…Anogenital cancers include cervical, anal, vaginal, vulvar, and penile cancers. Moreover, there is also evidence about the effectiveness of HPV vaccines against OP cancers [ 171 ]. While the vaccines have been highly effective in preventing anogenital and head and neck HPV infections, there is limited evidence regarding their impact on oral HPV infections specifically.…”

Assessing the Knowledge of HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, HPV Vaccination, and Practice Scope among Saudi Dental Students in the Western Region

“…HAPO-02-K-012-2022-11-1257) and King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, SA (approval no. 123- [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22].…”

“…Yet, specific screening methods or prevention measures are not available for OPSCC, unlike other HPV-related malignancies [14,15]. Thus, the potential effectiveness of the available HPV vaccines has been suggested for preventing HPV-OPSCC by the relevant authorities [16]. Recent studies indicate that patients primarily gain knowledge about HPV-OPSCC from their dentists, highlighting the crucial role of dentists in encouraging patients to seek information and ultimately preventing the progression of this condition [17][18][19].…”

Occupational risk of human papillomavirus virus due to dermatologic procedures

“…HPV vaccination emerges as an additional layer of defense, reducing oropharyngeal transmission by over 80% 5 . The United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA)–approved 9-valent recombinant HPV vaccine is now available for adults up to 45 years old.…”