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. 2024 Jan 3;16(1):226.
doi: 10.3390/cancers16010226.

Changes in the Incidence and Human Papillomavirus-Positive Portion of Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Hong Kong

Zigui Chen  1 , Amy B W Chan  2 , Lok-Sang Kam  3 , Man-Hin Chan  4 , Jason Y K Chan  5 , Wai-Tung Lee  6 , Chit Chow  2 , Siaw S Boon  1 , Chichao Xia  1 , Brian Lam  4 , Suki Lam  4 , Rita W Y Ng  1 , Wendy C S Ho  1 , Eddy W H Lam  4 , Christopher K C Lai  1 , Paul K S Chan  1
Affiliations

Changes in the Incidence and Human Papillomavirus-Positive Portion of Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Hong Kong

Zigui Chen et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

The incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is rising in the West, but little is known in Asia. This study elucidated changes in the incidence and HPV-positive portion of OPSCC in Hong Kong. Data from population-based cancer registry were used to analyze the incidence of OPSCC in association with other head and neck cancers. Archived tumor tissues were tested for HPV. From 1986 to 2020, there was a marked decrease in the incidence of nasopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers, but a persistent increase in OPSCC from 36 cases in 1986 to 116 cases in 2020. The average positive rate for high-risk HPV was 36.1% (112/310) among OPSCC diagnosed in 2010-2020. The HPV-positive rate in recent years was significantly higher than earlier cases (tonsil SCC: 64.7% (55/85) in 2016-2020 vs. 40.4% (19/47) in 2010-2015, p = 0.007). Patients with HPV-positive tonsil cancers were significantly younger than those negative (mean [SD]: 58.9 [9.9] vs. 64.3 [13.3] years, p = 0.006), but no significant difference was observed between genders. A persistent increase in the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer over the last few decades was observed in Hong Kong, which can be explained by the remarkable increase in HPV-positive tonsil cancers.

Keywords: Chinese; HPV; Hong Kong; OPSCC; head and neck cancers; oropharyngeal cancer; tonsil cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

P.K.S.C. received an honorarium from Merck Sharp and Dohme, GlaxoSmithKline, Moderna, and Pfizer for serving as speaker, advisor, or consultant. J.Y.K.C. and E.W.H.L. received an honorarium from Merck Sharp and Dohme for serving as a speaker, advisor, interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Changes in the incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in Hong Kong, 1986–2020.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes in the number of new cases of oropharyngeal and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in Hong Kong, 1986–2020.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Age distribution of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) cases tested for human papillomavirus. (A) All cases. (B) High-risk HPV positive cases.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) types in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) in Hong Kong.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Proportion of human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) from 2005 to 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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