Prevalence of human papillomavirus in cancer of the oropharynx by gender
A partir des données de 63 études menées aux Etats-Unis, en Europe et dans des pays à revenus élevés, cette étude analyse la prévalence d'une infection par le papillomavirus humain dans le cancer de l'oropharynx, chez les femmes et les hommes
Oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is more frequent in men than women mainly due to the heavier and longer-duration of smoking in men. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has a role in the rising incidence of OPC in the US and other high-income countries. To determine if there is a difference in the proportion of HPV-attributable OPC between men and women, we systematically retrieved HPV prevalence data from 63 studies reporting separately on OPC by gender. The male/female (M/F) ratios of HPV prevalence in OPC across different countries and the corresponding M/F ratios of cumulative lung cancer risk (a proxy for smoking) were compared. The US had the highest M/F ratios of HPV prevalence in OPC (1.5). The lowest M/F ratios (≤0.7) were found in Asia and some European countries (e.g. France). The countries in which the M/F ratio of HPV prevalence in OPC was ≥1.0 had the most similar lung cancer risks for men and women. When HPV prevalence data were applied to age-standardized OPC incidence rates in the US, Australia, the UK, and France, the M/F ratio for the HPV-positive OPC incidence rates was rather stable (around 4) in all countries. In contrast, the M/F ratio for the HPV-negative OPC incidence rates reached 10.2 in France versus <3 elsewhere. We confirmed that HPV prevalence in OPC differs by gender and country mainly as a consequence of the vast international variation in male smoking habits. Nevertheless, HPV-positive OPC may affect men more heavily than women in different populations for reasons that are unclear.