Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
The
authors aimed to compare the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC)
from 2011 through 2015 and the rate of human papilloma virus (HPV)
vaccination from 2015 through 2017 in the United States overall and in
Florida.
METHODS:
Using SEER*Stat software (Surveillance
Research Program, National Cancer Institute), the authors calculated
age-specific OPC incidence rates for various age groups and age-adjusted
rates by sex and race to analyze Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End
Results program and National Program of Cancer Registries data. The
authors used Joinpoint software (Surveillance Research Program, National
Cancer Institute) to model time trends of OPC incidence. They estimated
the rate of HPV vaccination among teenagers in Florida and explored the
main reasons parents gave for not getting their children vaccinated by
means of analyzing data from the National Immunization Survey-Teen. The
authors used the χ
2 test to determine the association between
sociodemographic factors and HPV vaccination and to compare the rate of
HPV vaccination in the United States overall with that in Florida.
RESULTS:
The
incidence of OPC was higher and the rate of HPV vaccination was lower
in Florida than in the United States overall. The OPC incidence rate was
highest in those who were aged 50 through 70 years, non-Hispanic white,
and male. The rate of being up-to-date on HPV vaccination in Florida
was higher among female teenagers than male teenagers but did not differ
significantly by other sociodemographic characteristics. The top reason
for not getting an HPV vaccination in Florida was that it had not been
recommended.
CONCLUSIONS:
The authors found relatively
higher and increasing incidence rate of OPC in Florida and lower rate of
HPV vaccination among adolescents in Florida than in the nation
overall.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS:
The trends illustrated
may stimulate policy changes to increase HPV vaccination for children
and enhance the understanding of its benefits.
Comments