Oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is a malignant tumor that occurs in the soft palate, tonsils, base of tongue, and pharynx (Arif et al., 2022). Worldwide, 98,400 new cases and 48,100 deaths of OPC were estimated in 2020, with age standardized rate of 1.1 and 0.51 per 100,000 for incidence and mortality, respectively (Lorenzoni et al., 2022). Previous studies have predominantly attributed the cause of OPC to smoking and/or alcohol consumption (Di Credico et al., 2020, Gormley et al., 2022, Gormley et al., 2020, Lechner et al., 2022). However, tobacco consumption is decreasing, yet the incidence of OPC is significantly increasing (De Cicco et al., 2020, Fujii, 2012, Lindel et al., 2001). Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is widely acknowledged as a prevalent cause of OPC (Taberna et al., 2017).

Growing evidence indicated a robust correlation between the genotypes of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV), particularly HPV-16, and the development of OPC (Berger et al., 2022, Bosetti et al., 2020, Deutsch et al., 2022, Ferreira et al., 2023). The first report in 1985 revealed the detection of HPV in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx (T Löning et al., 1985). Remarkably, OPC exhibited a notably higher HPV positivity rate (36–57%) than other head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) (Gillison et al., 2000, Kreimer et al., 2005).

HPV, a small, non-enveloped, nearly spherical, double-stranded DNA virus, is widely recognized for its role in causing cervical cancer and other malignancies (Vashisht et al., 2019). Over 200 genotypes of HPV have been identified (Gheit, 2019), of which 54 are known to be associated with genital infections (de Sanjose et al., 2010), and 19 are associated with HNSCC (de Martel et al., 2017, Gillison et al., 2015). HPV mediates OPC development mainly through sexual transmission, protein expression, precancerous lesions, and malignant transformation (Lechner et al., 2022). Indeed, HPV-related OPC patients present distinctive demographic characteristics, encompassing variations in age distribution, gender disparities, viral genotypes, and tumor sites (Kang et al., 2022). A study has shown that in North America and Australia, the prevalence of HPV infection among female OPC patients was higher than males. However, this research was limited to only a few countries and regions, and did not include countries in Africa and South America (Combes et al., 2014).

This study seeks to determine the prevalence of HPV infection among OPC patients from different genotypes, oral-pharyngeal sites, populations, and regions, which will improve our understanding of the relationship between HPV infection and OPC, and identify high-risk individuals, offering valuable data and guidance for prevention, treatment of OPC.