HPV Vaccine, Access to Care Might Increase Survival in High-Risk Populations

Five-year survival rates for individuals with cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) depend largely on race, sex, and age, according to a recent study. Compared with black patients, white patients with HPV-associated cancers have a consistently higher 5-year relative survival rate across all age groups and cancer types.

More than 90% of cervical cancers, as well as a significant proportion of vulvar, vaginal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers caused by certain HPV types, can potentially be prevented with HPV vaccines. However, more data is needed on how demographic characteristics affect relative survival in these patients.
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For their study, the researchers evaluated high-quality data on patients with invasive cancers that were diagnosed between 2001 and 2011, followed through 2011, and met specified histologic criteria for HPV-associated cancers. Data were obtained from 27 population-based cancer registries that covered about 59% of the US population.

Factors including age, race, and sex were used to calculate 5-year relative survival from cancer diagnosis until death.

The 5-year age-standardized relative survival rates were determined for cervical carcinomas (64.2%), vaginal squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs; 52.8%), vulvar SCCs (66%), penile SCCs (47.4%), anal SCCs (65.9%), rectal SCCs (56.2%), and oropharyngeal SCCs (51.2%).

Ultimately, the researchers found that white patients had demonstrated a consistently higher 5-year relative survival rate compared with black patients for all HPV-associated cancers across all age groups. They noted that the greatest differences by race occurred in those with oropharyngeal SCCs who were younger than 60 years, and in those with penile SCCs who were age 40 to 49 years, vs other age groups.

“There are large disparities in relative survival among patients with HPV-associated cancers by sex, race, and age,” the researchers concluded. “HPV vaccination and improved access to screening (of cancers for which screening tests are available) and treatment, especially among groups that experience higher incidence and lower survival, may reduce disparities in survival from HPV-associated cancers.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Razzaghi H, Saraiya M, Thompson TD, Henley SJ, Viens L, Wilson R. Five-year relative survival for human papillomavirus-associated cancer sites [published online November 6, 2017]. Cancer. doi:10.1002/cncr.30947.