High-Risk Human Papillomavirus–Related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Among Non-Indigenous and Indigenous Populations: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objective To estimate the prevalence of oral high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) infection and the proportion of hr-HPV–related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) among Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. Data Source Electronic database searches of PubMed, PubMed Central, Embase, MEDLINE, Scope, and Google Scholar were conducted for articles published from January 2000 until November 2019. Review Methods Studies were included with a minimum of 100 cases assessing hr-HPV infection in either population samples or oropharyngeal cancer tumor series. The objective was to conduct meta-analyses to calculate the pooled prevalence of oral hr-HPV infection by adjusting for age group or sex in primary studies, the incidence of OPSCC, and the proportion of hr-HPV–related OPSCC in Indigenous people and non-Indigenous/general populations. Results We identified 47 eligible studies from 157 articles for meta-analyses. The pooled prevalence of oral hr-HPV infection was 7.494% (95% CI, 5.699%-9.289%) in a general population, with a higher prevalence among men (10.651%) than women (5.176%). The pooled incidence rate was 13.395 (95% CI, 9.315-17.475) and 7.206 (95% CI, 4.961-9.450) per 100,000 person-years in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, respectively. The overall pooled proportion of hr-HPV–related OPSCC was 50.812% (95 CI, 41.656%-59.969%). The highest proportion was in North America (60.221%), while the lowest proportion was in the Asia-Pacific (34.246%). Conclusion Our findings suggest that in the general population, the prevalence of oral hr-HPV infection is lower among females and those in younger age groups. The incidence of OPSCC was higher among Indigenous than non-Indigenous populations, with the proportion being highest in North America.