Is the human papillomavirus a mutual aetiological agent in oral and cervical squamous cell carcinoma?
BACKGROUND
Oncogenic HPV-types are the most important risk factor in cervical SSC and have also been implicated in the aetiology of OSSC. This evidence of infection at different anatomical sites suggests systemic susceptibility that implies that different expressions of disease should more or less correlate over long periods of time.


METHODS
This was undertaken to establish whether any correlation could be found between the incidence of cervical SCC and OSCC in females and OSSC in males in South Africa, over a ten-year period, 1986 to 1995.


RESULTS
Several moderate to strong correlations, which ranged from significant (p < 0.05) to highly significant (p < 0.01), between the incidence of cervical SSC and OSSC in the Black and Coloured populations, and OSSC in the White male population, were found.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support the idea of systemic susceptibility, and infection through a common agent such as HPV, contributing to the cause of SSC.
Postma
T C
TC
Department of Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Van Heerden
W F
WF
D000367:Age Factors; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*