title: Recent trends in oropharyngeal cancer funding and public interest.
abstract: The incidence of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) has increased in the United States. This has been driven by an increase in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive OPC. Our objective is to determine trends in National Institutes (NIH)-supported research funding and public interest in OPC.
  
  
  
  The NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools database was evaluated for projects related to OPC between 2004 and 2015. Projects were evaluated for total funding, relation to HPV, principal investigator departmental affiliation and degree, and NIH agency or center responsible for grant. The Google Trends database was evaluated for relative Internet search popularity of oropharyngeal cancer and related search terms between 2004 and 2015.
  
  
  
  In terms of NIH funding, 100 OPC-related projects representing 242 grant years and $108.5 million were funded between 2004 and 2015. Total NIH funding for OPC projects increased from $167,406 in 2004 to $16.2 million in 2015. Funding for HPV-related OPC increased from less than $2 million yearly between 2004 and 2010 up to $12.7 million in 2015. Principal investigators related to radiation oncology ($41.8 million) and with doctor of medicine degrees ($52.8 million) received the largest share of total funding. Relative Internet search popularity for oropharyngeal cancer has increased from 2004 to 2015 compared to control cancer search terms.
  
  
  
  Increased public interest and NIH funding has paralleled the rising incidence of OPC. NIH funding has been driven by projects related to the role of HPV in OPC.
  
  
  
  2c. Laryngoscope, 127:1345-1350, 2017.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Blasco
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Peter F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Svider
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Troy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tenbrunsel
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Gautham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vellaichamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.|Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
authors.forename: George H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.|Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.|Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.|Molecular Therapeutics Program, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fribley
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.|Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
authors.forename: S Naweed
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Raza
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.) / Q000191:economics*; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D011634:Public Health / Q000639:trends*; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Google Trends; HPV; National Institutes of Health; Oropharyngeal cancer; head and neck cancer; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; human papillomavirus; oropharyngeal carcinoma