Global trends in the incidence of cancer attributable to human papillomavirus infection: A population‐based study

Human papillomavirus (HPV) plays a significant role in cancers of the head, neck, and anogenital areas. This study aimed to estimate the burden and trends of HPV-related cancers in 44 selected countries from 1990 to 2017. Data on cancers attributable to HPV infection from 1990 to 2017 were extracted from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) plus database. The population-attributable fraction (PAF), age-standardised incidence rates (ASIR), and average annual percentage change (AAPC) were analyzed to identify trends. From 1990 to 2017, 3,560,554 new HPV-attributed cancer cases were recorded across 44 countries, with an ASIR of 4.6 per 100,000 population. Site-specific ASIRs were: cervical (5.8), penile (1.2), vulvar (4.0), vaginal (1.5), anal (1.9), oropharyngeal (3.1), oral (1.3), and laryngeal (1.4). While ASIRs decreased in most countries, significant increases occurred in China, Uganda, and Latvia. HPV-related cancers remain a global health challenge with marked regional variations.