Human papillomavirus infection and its association with lung cancer: a case-control study (2011-2019).

Background and Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes about 4.5% of all new human cancers. The purpose of this study was to look into the prevalence of various HPV types in patients with lung cancer. Materials and Methods: The study included a cohort of 61 individuals who had received treatment at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz between 2011 and 2019. Paraffin-embedded tissues were used for molecular analysis. The primary goal was to assess the differences in HPV prevalence between lung cancer patients and a control group, using a Nested PCR assay followed by sequencing. Results: Among the lung cancer patients, HPV DNA was detected in 10 individuals, while three individuals in the control group were also positive (16.3% versus 12.0%, P=0.65). Notably, every detected HPV variant was classified as the high-risk type 16. Additionally, the researchers investigated potential associations between age, sex, smoking habits, and lung cancer in both HPV-positive and negative patients. The study findings revealed that age, sex, and smoking habits did not show statistically significant associations with the presence of HPV (P>0.05). Moreover, Lung cancer incidence was not significantly correlated with HPV infection (P>0.05). Conclusion: Therefore, according to the study's findings, smoking, HPV infection, and lung cancer prevalence were not significantly correlated in the population under investigation.