Open AccessRole of human papillomaviruses in esophageal carcinoma: an updated systematic review from 1982 to 2013
Author(s) -
Mario Poljak,
Boštjan J. Kocjan,
Lea Hošnjak
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
future virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.462
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1746-0808
pISSN - 1746-0794
DOI - 10.2217/fvl.13.116
Subject(s) - esophageal squamous cell carcinoma , etiology , medicine , esophageal cancer , incidence (geometry) , meta analysis , oncology , carcinoma , virology , cancer , physics , optics
Tobacco, alcohol and betel quid are known etiological agents of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). A meta-analysis in 2012 and a literature update (1982–August 2013) identified 159 studies with a total of 11,310 ESCCs tested for the presence of human papillomaviruses (HPVs). HPV DNA was present in 30.3% of fESCCs, with substantial geographic differences. A recent meta-analysis of 21 case–control studies investigating the HPV–ESCC association showed that HPVs increase the risk of ESCC at least threefold. Vaccine-preventable HPV-16 and HPV-18 are the most commonly identified HPV types in ESCC in both low- and high-incidence settings. HPVs should now be seriously considered as etiological agents for at least a subset of ESCC, and more studies are needed to provide conclusive evidence that HPVs cause ESCC.