Resumen
Oral infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses is one of the known risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer. Human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal cancer is a rising trend in many Western countries. Hong Kong is a vibrant Chinese cosmopolitan city in East Asia where data on the trend of change in human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal cancer are not available. This study found that oropharyngeal cancer cases have increased persistently over the last three decades in Hong Kong, despite a notable decrease in other head and neck cancers such as the laryngeal cancer. By testing a series of cancer samples collected over the past several years, this study found that the proportion of oropharyngeal cancer infected with high-risk human papillomaviruses has increased substantially over the last decade. Strategies to prevent oral human papillomavirus infection and its associated diseases including oropharyngeal cancer are urgently needed. Research on the early detection of oropharyngeal cancer is a priority.