Human Papilloma Virus is one of the most common viral agents infecting skin and mucoses in humans. It is now well established that persistent HPV infection with some specific HPV types, the so called high-risk types, leads to a deregulation of viral gene expression and altered cell functions including cell proliferation, poor DNA repair, and accumulation of genetic changes. All these changes are linked to anogenital cancers including cervix, vagina, vulva, anal canal, penis, and head and neck cancers, particularly oropharyngeal. The HPV aetiological contribution differs in each location reflecting different natural history and different tropism. HPV contributes to over 530,000 new cervical cancer cases and over 80,000 of other related sites every year worldwide. Geographical and social differences in incidence and mortality are prominent particularly for cervical cancer as its burden is highly related to screening and treatment facilities.
A literature search within Pubmed on HPV and epidemiology of Cervical cancer and HNSCC has been carried out.
Over the last decade, increasing amount of information on the role of HPV in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) has been amassed. While HPV persistent infection is the necessary cause of the vast majority of cervical cancers this is not the case for cancers of the vulva, penile and HNSCC. Nowadays, it is widely accepted that HPV-positive HNSCC differ significantly from HPV-negative HNSCC, mainly caused by tobacco and alcohol, on the genetical, molecular, epidemiological and clinical level. The HPV involvement in the carcinogenic process may derive in a major impact in the clinical management of HNSCC patients. This is distinctive from the accepted treatment regimes in other HPV related cancers in which HPV involvement has not been yet associated to differential regimes.
Prevention strategies are moving towards incorporating HPV testing in screening practices and HPV vaccination as primary prevention of cervical cancer and other ano-genital cancer. However, the impact of secondary preventive measures in HNSCH HPV positive cases need to be developed and evaluated. It is expected that prophylactic vaccines could have an impact in HNSCC.