Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus in Oropharyngeal Carcinoma: A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background & objectives: Oropharyngeal cancer is caused by multiple factors, including human papillomavirus (HPV). This cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV in histopathological confirmed oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma cases at Government Medical College Hospital, Kota, to establish baseline regional data for future screening and treatment protocols. Methods: This was a hospital based descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care cancer center in Government Medical College Hospital over 2 years. One hundred patients with histopathologically confirmed oropharyngeal carcinoma meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Oropharyngeal samples were collected from these patients by gently rubbing a swab on the target area and these were then sent to Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MRU) in viral transport media (VTM) for HPV testing and genotyping. Results: Four out of 100 samples were HPV positive, yielding a prevalence of 4.0%. The mean age of participants was 54.48±12.60 years. HPV16 and other high-risk HPV genotypes 31,33,35,39,45,51,52,56,58,59,66,67,68 were detected. No cases with HPV 18 were identified. Conclusions: HPV DNA prevalence was 4.0% in this study. HPV 16 and other high-risk genotypes were detected. Statistical assessment of clinicopathological correlates was not feasible due to few positive cases. Multicentric studies covering diverse geographical and socioeconomic groups are needed to determine the true burden and profile of HPV-associated oropharyngeal carcinoma in the Indian subcontinent Keywords: Human Papillomavirus, Oropharyngeal Neoplasms, Prevalence, India, Cross-Sectional Studies