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HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer · Understanding the disease

Where in the world is HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer most common?

Reviewed: 8 November 2026 By: Xiangpeng Liu, MD Topic: HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer Answer length: short, citable
Quick answer

HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer is not evenly distributed: the highest-burden regions are North America, Northern Europe & Scandinavia and United Kingdom & Western Europe. In 2022 there were about 146,500 new oropharyngeal cancer cases (C01, C09–C10) worldwide (male ASR 2.6 and female ASR 0.5 per 100,000; 19.3% of all lip/oral/pharyngeal cancers in 2022), with marked country-to-country variation driven by local exposures such as tobacco, areca nut, oncogenic viruses, ultraviolet radiation and occupational carcinogens.

In detail

The regional pattern matters clinically. A patient from North America may present with a different risk-factor profile and a different stage distribution than a patient from a low-incidence country, which changes both the differential diagnosis and the pretreatment work-up.

All incidence figures on this site are age-standardised rates or absolute case counts from GLOBOCAN 2022 and its subsite analyses. They describe populations, not individual risk.

  • North America: Oropharyngeal cancer made up 43.8% of all lip, oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers in the region — the highest share worldwide — and about 70% of US oropharyngeal cancers are HPV-positive.
  • Northern Europe & Scandinavia: HPV-attributable fractions of roughly 63% in Denmark, 72% in Sweden and 77% in Norway; Denmark and France have among the highest female ASRs.
  • United Kingdom & Western Europe: About 52% of UK oropharyngeal cancers are HPV-positive and incidence has surpassed that of cervical cancer among women.
  • Eastern Europe: Slovakia (male ASR 11.1) and Romania (10.6) reported the highest national oropharyngeal ASRs in the 2022 subsite analysis.
  • Australia & New Zealand: Oropharyngeal cancer is the most commonly diagnosed lip/oral/pharyngeal subsite among men, with HPV-related incidence rising since the 1980s.
  • Southern Europe: HPV-attributable fractions below 20%, showing that the same anatomical site can have a very different cause in a different region.

What this means in practice: this answer is part of the “Understanding the disease” section of the HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer topic. If you are comparing treatment options, also read how to compare a second opinion and which records to send.

Other common questions about HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer

See all 16 questions in this topic →

Sources for this answer

  1. Global incidence of lip, oral cavity, and pharyngeal cancers by subsite in 2022 CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians · 2026 · Subsite-level estimates for 185 countries; the basis of the regional atlas on this site.
  2. Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN 2022) International Agency for Research on Cancer / WHO · 2022 · Source of worldwide and country-level incidence and mortality estimates.
  3. Global Cancer Facts & Figures, 5th Edition (GLOBOCAN 2022 tables) American Cancer Society · 2024
  4. Global incidence of lip, oral cavity, and pharyngeal cancers by subsite in 2022 CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians · 2026 · Subsite-level estimates for 185 countries; the basis of the regional atlas on this site.
  5. HPV & Oropharyngeal Cancer US National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research · 2025 · About 70% of oropharyngeal cancers in the United States are HPV-positive.
  6. HPV Detection in Oropharyngeal Cancer: A Narrative Review PubMed Central / peer-reviewed review · 2025 · HPV-attributable fraction: ~71% US, ~52% UK, >60% Scandinavia, <20% Southern Europe, ~44% globally.
  7. Impact of screening for HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers: a microsimulation-based modeling study Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2025 · Reports ~85% 5-year overall survival for HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer.

Written and medically reviewed by Xiangpeng Liu, MD

Associate Chief Physician, ENT & Head/Neck Surgery · Chenzhou First People’s Hospital, Chenzhou, Hunan, China

Editorial policy & reviewer credentials · All sources

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Medical disclaimer: This knowledge base is general information for people researching head and neck tumours, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It does not replace an examination by a qualified physician. Survival figures are population averages, not predictions for an individual. Treatment and cost estimates for China are illustrative only and must be confirmed in writing after your records have been reviewed. If you have a symptom lasting more than two to three weeks, see a doctor promptly.