Human papillomavirus as a risk factor for head and neck cancers - A case-control study

A retrospective, case-control study was conducted to examine the relationsh ip between the presence of human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 (HPV16/18) DNA and the risk of head and neck cancers. Twelve out of 74 (16.2%) head an d neck cancers contained HPV16/18 DNA, while 3 out of 70 (4.2%) non-cancer controls showed HPV16/18 positivity by polymerase chain reaction. The prese nce of HPV16/18 DNA was associated with an increased risk of head and neck cancer formation, showing an odds ratio of 4.32, with a 95% confidence inte rval of 1.26-14.78. Although its epidemiological impact might be smaller th an that of other factors like cigarette smoking, the presence of HPV 16/18 DNA in the aerodigestive tract is suggested to be a risk factor for human h ead and neck cancers.