Increasing Patients With HPV-positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and its Oncologic Outcomes in the Rural Region in Northern Japan

Abstract

Background/aim: Despite the global rise in the incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) in recent years, its prevalence and oncological outcomes in patients living in rural areas of Northern Japan has not been explored and should be investigated.

Patients and methods: A total of 105 patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent HPV screening and received first-line treatment were included in this study. The annual changes in the number of patients, survival rates, and clinical factors affecting prognosis were examined.

Results: The HPV-positive rate in patients with OPC was low, with the lowest rate of 10.0% in 2013 and the highest rate of 46.7% in 2020. The number of HPV-negative cases remained almost unchanged, whereas the overall number of cases increased with the increasing number of HPV-positive cases. Additionally, HPV-positive cases exhibited a fairly good prognosis.

Conclusion: The number of OPC cases increased not only in urban areas, but also in rural areas. HPV-positive cases had better outcomes than HPV-negative cases.

Keywords: HPV positive squamous cell carcinoma; Oropharyngeal cancer; incidence; treatment outcome.