Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39757446›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association2025

What cancers explain the growing rural-urban gap in human papillomavirus-associated cancer incidence?

Jason Semprini, Whitney Zahnd, Heather M Brandt

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. What cancers explain the growing rural-urban gap in human papillomavirus-associated cancer incidence?The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Jason SempriniDepartment of Public Health, Des Moines University College of Health Sciences, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0375-8090
Whitney ZahndUniversity of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5174-8666
Heather M BrandtSt. Jude Children's Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Funding

Viral Vector Technology (VVTSR)P30CA021765 · NCI · ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL · PI Shondra Michelle Miller · 1985 to 2026
$166.9M
American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial ResearchAmerican Lebanese and Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) of St. Jude Children's Research HospitalNCI NIH HHS P30 CA021765
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeHuman papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cancers of the genital system, anus/rectum, and oropharynx. Prior research showed that HPV-associated cancer incidence was rising faster in nonmetro than in metro populations. Our study identified which cancers contributed to the widening disparity.

methodsRepresenting ∼93% of all cancers in the United States, we analyzed data from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (2000-2019). Restricting the analysis to HPV-associated cancers, we compared 5-year average age-adjusted incidence rates (per 100,000 population) for nonmetropolitan (Rural-Urban Continuum Codes 4-9) and metropolitan populations, by sex and cancer site. To quantify the rural-urban gap, we calculated rate ratios and absolute differences of incidence trends.

resultsAlthough incidence was similar in 2000-2004 (nonmetropolitan = 9.9; metropolitan = 9.9), incidence in 2015-2019 was significantly higher in nonmetropolitan (12.3) than metropolitan (11.1) populations. The gap was widest for cervical cancers (females) in 2015-2019 (1.0 case per 100,000) but grew the most since 2000-2004 in oropharyngeal cancers among males (+1.1 cases per 100,000). The nonmetropolitan rate ratios for females (RR = 1.15, 95% C.I. = 1.13, 1.17) and males (RR = 1.07, 95% C.I. = 1.05, 1.09) in 2015-2019 were higher than the respective RRs for all other years. Since 2000, the nonmetropolitan disparity has significantly grown for anal and cervical cancers in females, and oropharyngeal cancers in both sexes. DISCUSSION: Although preventable, nonmetropolitan Americans have shouldered a growing burden of HPV-associated cancers. To address these cervical, anal, and oropharyngeal cancer disparities, it is imperative that HPV vaccination programs are effectively implemented at scale.

Indexed as

Papillomavirus InfectionsRural PopulationUrban PopulationAdultAgedAnus NeoplasmsFemaleHuman Papillomavirus VirusesHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasmsOropharyngeal NeoplasmsPapillomaviridaeRegistriescancerdisparitiesHPVvaccine

Identifiers

PMID39757446
PMCPMC11701246

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.