Public health policy and cancer prevention: Impact of HPV vaccine laws on oropharyngeal cancer.

Abstract

e23046 Background: Oropharyngeal cancer is a significant global health challenge and the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination effectively prevents HPV infections, a leading cause of oropharyngeal cancer. To prevent HPV infection, five jurisdictions in the United States passed laws requiring HPV vaccination for school attendance: Virginia and Washington, D.C. in 2007, Rhode Island in 2015, Puerto Rico in 2017, and Hawaii in 2019. This study is the first to assess the association between laws requiring HPV vaccinations and changes in oropharyngeal cancer incidence rates in the United States. Methods: This study is a retrospective, observational study. State Cancer Profiles from the National Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were utilized to analyze oropharyngeal cancer incidence rates in Virginia, Washington, D.C., Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico from 2002 to 2021, compared to the rest of the United States. Linear regression models were developed for each jurisdiction using MATLAB to evaluate changes in incidence rates before and after implementing HPV vaccination laws. Statistical significance was defined as a p-value < 0.05. Results: Washington, D.C. demonstrated a significant decrease in oropharyngeal cancer incidence rates following the implementation of HPV vaccination laws (p = 0.02). However, no significant decreases were observed in the other four jurisdictions. In fact, during the same period, the nationwide incidence rate of oropharyngeal cancer increased. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that HPV vaccination laws may contribute to reduced oropharyngeal cancer incidence rates, as demonstrated in Washington, D.C. However, similar effects were not seen in other jurisdictions, likely due to the small number of jurisdictions with such laws, the short follow-up period after these laws were passed, and the long latency period of oropharyngeal cancer. These initial results underscore the potential impact of HPV vaccine mandates on cancer prevention and highlight the need for further longitudinal studies to evaluate their long-term effectiveness. Our findings provide insight into the role of policy-driven public health interventions in reducing cancer incidence and may guide future legislative or regulatory strategies aimed at combating HPV-related cancers.