Awareness of the Link Between Human Papilloma Virus Infection and Head and Neck Cancer Among the General Population and Practitioners: A Literature Review

Background: Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is responsible for 4.5% of cancers worldwide, i.e., for around 630,000 new cases per year. Around 38,000 cases per year of HPV-related cancers arise in the head and neck region, of which 21,000 cases are oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs), with an increasing frequency in high-income countries. In our work, we aimed to collect the available evidence about the awareness of the relation between HPV infection and head and neck cancer among patients and practitioners. Methods: This review was based on all available prospective and retrospective studies, case reports, and review articles published up to May 2024 in PubMed. The search keywords used included "human papilloma virus" plus "head and neck cancer", "awareness", "infection", "vaccination", "awareness in patients and practitioners", "oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma", "HPV16-18", "HPV awareness", "cervical cancer". Results: In the U.S.A., with more than 150.00 participants interviewed through different studies, the identification of HPV infection as a risk factor for head and neck cancer (HNC) was made by only 12-39% of the participants. Similar conclusions were drawn from European studies in which only 10-52% of the participants recognized HPV as a risk factor for HNC. HPV-related HNC awareness in health care providers and medical/dental students showed a high variability among studies, being otolaryngology and dental sciences specialists the most conscious in comparison to general practitioners, who demonstrated a low level of awareness. Conclusions: There is a dangerous lack of awareness about HPV infection and its potential role in HNC among both general populations and health care practitioners. A great effort should be made to increase awareness in both practitioners and the general population on this topic, also aiming to increase the HPV vaccination coverage.