HPV-Associated Cancer Incidence, United States 2009–2013

Authors:

Jane Henley (Presenter)
CDC

Laura Viens, CNI, Inc

Public Health Statement: Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes some cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal, rectal, and oropharyngeal cancers. Prevention strategies include HPV vaccination, which can prevent cervical cancer and perhaps other HPV-associated cancers, and effective population-based screening, which is currently available only for cervical cancer.

Purpose: To describe the current burden of HPV-associated cancers.

Methods/Approach: We analyzed data from cancer registries participating in CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries and NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program that met criteria for high data quality for 2009–2013, covering 99% of the U.S. population. We defined HPV-associated cancers as histologically confirmed invasive cancers at anatomic sites with cell types in which HPV DNA frequently is found (all carcinomas of the cervix, including adenocarcinomas and squamous cell cancers [SCC]; SCCs only for vulva, vagina, penis, anus, rectum, and oropharynx). For each cancer type, we calculated HPV-attributable cancers by multiplying the number of cancers by the percentage attributable to HPV based on genotyping studies.

Results: An average of 39,844 HPV-associated cancers (11.7 per 100,000 persons) were diagnosed annually, including 23,330 among females (13.5 per 100,000) and 16,514 among males (9.9 per 100,000). The most common cancers among females were cervical carcinomas, and oropharyngeal SCCs among males. 31,500 HPV-associated cancers (79%) were estimated to be attributable to HPV. Of these, 29,100 were attributable to HPV types which can be prevented by the 9-valent HPV vaccine.

Conclusions/Implications: HPV-associated cancer incidence and the impact of interventions to prevent these cancers can be monitored using data from population-based cancer registries. Data are available at www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/.