Clinical and epidemiological profile and risk factors causing HPV-associated head and neck cancer in Russia: results of a selected study

Incidence of all malignant neoplasms of head and neck has been growing all over the world. Over the last two decades more knowledge has been accumulated on the matter since human papillomavirus (HPV) was introduced into etiology of head and neck cancer. According to expert estimates annually there are approximately 52,000 new cases of head and neck cancer that are associated with human papillomavirus, including 30 % of oropharyngeal cancer, 2.1 % of oral cavity cancer and 2.3 % of laryngeal cancer. Our research goal was to determine basic clinical and epidemiological peculiarities of HPV-associated head and neck cancer. We accomplished a retrospective study based on analyzing patients’ clinical case reports. As a result we revealed that patients with oral cavity cancer and oropharyngeal cancer most frequently tended to have HPV 16, 75.7 % cases (56.7-89.1 %); it was detected in 25 % cases (4.7-63.2 %) among patients with laryngeal cancer. We showed contributions made by tobacco smoking OR = 2.07 (1.07-4.02), hookah smoking OR = 3.06 (1.06-8.80), having a dental prosthesis OR = 7.32 (2.77-19.31), heredity OR = 7.38 (3.07-17.76), “bad” oral health status OR = 33.54 (15.01-74.95), positive HPV-status in case history OR = 7.31 (2.77-19.31), having 5 or more sexual partners during lifetime OR = 4.95 (2.47-9.93) as major risk factors of developing HPV-associated head and neck cancer. Prevention of HPV plays an important role in reducing the incidence of head and neck cancer. Our research results confirm the necessity to accomplish prevention activities with respect to detected risk factors causing HPV-associated head and neck cancer aiming to reduce growing incidence with the disease.