title: Prevalence of human papillomavirus in head and neck cancers in European populations: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is necessary for the development of cervical carcinoma. By contrast, the role of HPV in the pathogenesis of other malignancies, such as head and neck cancers, is less well characterised. This study aimed to address key information gaps by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of HPV infection in head and neck cancers, focusing on data for European populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  MEDLINE, Embase and grey literature sources were systematically searched for primary studies that were published in English between July 2002 and July 2012, and which reported on the prevalence of HPV infection in head and neck cancers in European populations. Studies on non-European populations, those not published in English, and those assessing patients co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus were excluded. Eligible studies were combined in a meta-analysis. In addition, the potential statistical association between the head and neck cancers and certain HPV types was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-nine publications met the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of HPV of any type in 3,649 patients with head and neck cancers was 40.0% (95% confidence interval, 34.6% to 45.5%), and was highest in tonsillar cancer (66.4%) and lowest in pharyngeal (15.3%) and tongue (25.7%) cancers. There were no statistically significant associations between the HPV types analysed and the geographical setting, type of sample analysed or type of primer used to analyse samples in head and neck cancers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of HPV infection in European patients with head and neck cancers is high but varies between the different anatomical sites of these malignancies. There appears to be no association between HPV type and geographical setting, type of samples analysed or type of primer used to analyse samples in such cancers.
authors.affiliation: Evidera Inc,, Metro Building, 6th Floor, 1 Butterwick, London W6 8DL, UK. seye.abogunrin@evidera.com.
authors.forename: Seye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abogunrin
authors.forename: Gian Luca
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Di Tanna
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keeping
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: Ike
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iheanacho
mesh_terms: D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D044465:White People