Awareness of head and neck cancer, its risk factors, and of Human Papillomavirus: a survey study
Importance - Constant rates of head and neck cancer (HNC) and increasing rates of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-driven oropharyngeal cancer highlight the need for increased awareness of HNC risk factors for primary and tertiary prevention. - Objective - To assess awareness of HNC and its risk factors,...
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| Auteurs principaux: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Langue: | anglais |
| Publié: |
Jul 2026
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| In: |
Journal of otolaryngology, head & neck surgery
Year: 2026, Volume: 55, Pages: 1-10 |
| ISSN: | 1916-0216 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/19160216261436005 |
| Accès en ligne: | Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1177/19160216261436005
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| Notes sur l'auteur: | Theresa Obermueller, MD, Sarah Volpe, MD, Denitze Lara Escobar, MD, Annett Pudszuhn, MD, Nicole Rotter, MD, Veit Maria Hofmann, MD, and Benedikt Kramer, MD |
| Résumé: | Importance - Constant rates of head and neck cancer (HNC) and increasing rates of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-driven oropharyngeal cancer highlight the need for increased awareness of HNC risk factors for primary and tertiary prevention. - Objective - To assess awareness of HNC and its risk factors, especially HPV, in patients with a confirmed or suspected HNC diagnosis and healthy controls. - Design - A cross-sectional survey was conducted. - Setting - The study was carried out at two university hospitals. - Participants - In total, 354 participants were included in the study, comprising 139 patients with confirmed HNC, 49 patients with suspected HNC, and 166 healthy controls. - Interventions/Exposures - Participants completed a questionnaire including HNC in general, its risk factors, and the role of HPV. - Main Outcome Measures - Primary outcomes were awareness of HNC risk factors and HPV-driven cancers. The evaluation was based on correct answers to knowledge questions. - Results - A general awareness of HNC was found in 70.3% of all participants. The major risk factors of HNC (smoking cigarettes and alcohol abuse, and HPV infection) were correctly identified in 63.3%, 39.5%, and 17.8%, respectively, with no statistical differences in the identification of the risk factors between the 3 groups. The correct recognition of HPV-associated cancer entities (cervical, anal, oropharyngeal, and vulvar/vaginal/penile cancer) was low, with 31.6%, 7.1%, 10.7%, and 13.6%, respectively. Notably, 63.0% of all participants were unaware of the possibility of an HPV vaccination. - Conclusion - Awareness of HNC and its risk factors, particularly alcohol and HPV, remains low across all groups, even among patients with a confirmed HNC diagnosis. Findings suggest a critical need for targeted educational efforts to improve primary and tertiary HNC prevention. - Relevance - Addressing gaps in HNC awareness can help in prevention and early diagnosis, reducing the HNC burden. Future studies should explore effective educational strategies tailored to at-risk populations. |
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| Description: | Erstmals veröffentlicht: 8. Juli 2026 Gesehen am 30.07.2026 |
| Description matérielle: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1916-0216 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/19160216261436005 |