ABSTRACT

Papillomavirus infection is a very common and mainly sexually transmitted disease in humans. The development of HPV infection may start from uterine cervix, other lower genital area mucosa and oral mucosa. HPV can cause subclinical or clinical infections. Clinical infections associated with HPV are genital papillomas, skin papillomas, recurrent respiratorial papilomatosis, intraepithelial squamous lesions, cervix, oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer. Approximately 20% of oral cancers and 60-80% of oropharyngeal cancers are thought to be due to HPV infection. Since the introduction of HPV vaccine in many European countries in 2007, more than 40 countries have launched HPV vaccination in national immunization programs. Physicians responsible for the treatment of oropharyngeal and oral cavity cancer should be knowledgeable about HPV vaccination and should follow developments in technology to reduce HPV-associated infections and cancers.