J Korean Assoc Oral Maxillofac Surg.  2016 Dec;42(6):327-336. 10.5125/jkaoms.2016.42.6.327.

Human papilloma virus in oral cancer

Affiliations
  • 1Oral and Maxillofacial Microvascular Reconstruction Lab, Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital, Sunyani, Ghana. smin5@snu.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women, and it arises from cells that originate in the cervix uteri. Among several causes of cervical malignancies, infection with some types of human papilloma virus (HPV) is well known to be the greatest cervical cancer risk factor. Over 150 subtypes of HPV have been identified; more than 40 types of HPVs are typically transmitted through sexual contact and infect the anogenital region and oral cavity. The recently introduced vaccine for HPV infection is effective against certain subtypes of HPV that are associated with cervical cancer, genital warts, and some less common cancers, including oropharyngeal cancer. Two HPV vaccines, quadrivalent and bivalent types that use virus-like particles (VLPs), are currently used in the medical commercial market. While the value of HPV vaccination for oral cancer prevention is still controversial, some evidence supports the possibility that HPV vaccination may be effective in reducing the incidence of oral cancer. This paper reviews HPV-related pathogenesis in cancer, covering HPV structure and classification, trends in worldwide applications of HPV vaccines, effectiveness and complications of HPV vaccination, and the relationship of HPV with oral cancer prevalence.

Keyword

Oral cancer; Human papilloma virus; Virus-like particle; HPV vaccine; Uterine cervical cancer

MeSH Terms

Cervix Uteri
Classification
Condylomata Acuminata
Female
Humans*
Incidence
Mouth
Mouth Neoplasms*
Oropharyngeal Neoplasms
Papillomaviridae*
Papillomavirus Vaccines
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
Vaccination
Papillomavirus Vaccines
Full Text Links
  • JKAOMS
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2026 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr