BACKGROUND: Latinas experience the greatest cervical cancer incidence compared with other ethnic/racial groups in the United States (US) due in part to significant disparities in screening uptake. Social and structural conditions that impede access to and participation in screening include language barriers, concerns about documentation status, logistical issues (e.g., transportation, limited clinic hours), and cultural beliefs regarding modesty and promiscuity. To overcome these challenges, self-sampling for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing has emerged as a potentially promising method for promoting cervical cancer screening among this population. Thus, this systematic review aimed to assess the acceptability of HPV self-sampling among US Latinas.
METHODS: Using EBSCOhost and PubMed databases, we searched for studies published in the past two decades (2003-2023) that described participation in HPV self-sampling among Latinas. Eleven articles met inclusion criteria.
RESULTS: The majority of studies were conducted in Florida, California, and Puerto Rico, were single-arm designs, and involved the use of community health workers and Spanish-language materials (e.g., brochures). Across studies, the majority of participants reported that self-sampling was acceptable with respect to ease of use, comfort (lack of pain), privacy, and convenience; however, some women were concerned about the accuracy of self-sampling or whether they had performed sample collection correctly.
CONCLUSIONS: Given the high acceptability, self-collection of cervicovaginal samples for HPV testing may offer a feasible option for enhancing participation in cervical cancer screening in this population that encounters significant barriers to screening.

The evolutionary journey of cervical cancer screening has been a major medical success story, considering the substantial role it has played in dwindling the disease burden. Through sustained collaborative efforts within the medical community, significant advances have been made from the humble yet path-breaking conventional Pap smear to the current automated screening systems and human papillomavirus (HPV) molecular testing. With the integration of artificial intelligence into screening techniques, we are currently at the precipice of circumventing the pitfalls of manual cytology readings and improving the efficiency of the screening systems by a significant margin. Despite the technological milestones traversed, the high logistics and operational cost, besides the technical know-how of operating the automated systems, can pose a major practical challenge in the widespread adoption of these advanced techniques in cervical cancer screening programs. This would suggest the need to adopt strategies that are tailored to the demands and needs of the different settings keeping their limitations in mind. This review aims to take the reader through the entire evolutionary journey of cervical cancer screening programs, highlight the individual merits and demerits of each technique, and discuss the recommendations from the major global guidelines.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection. Despite a safe and effective vaccine, uptake continues to be suboptimal. Recently, focus has moved to college campuses in an effort to increase vaccination rates. Little is known about the extent of efforts to reach graduate students on college campuses in the United States and the vaccination rates within this subpopulation. This scoping review assessed the literature on knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors about HPV and HPV vaccination among graduate and post-baccalaureate professional students in the United States. This review also aims to identify areas for further research to improve institutions\' abilities to create health programming to increase HPV awareness and HPV vaccination coverage on their campuses. Publications focusing on knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors about HPV and HPV vaccination in post-baccalaureate students were included. The systematic review of PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase identified 2562 articles, and 56 articles met all inclusion criteria and were included in this scoping review. A majority of the reviewed studies investigated some combination of knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs about HPV and the HPV vaccine in students in professional programs such as medicine. Study design approaches were primarily cross-sectional, utilizing web-based survey distribution methods. HPV vaccination status and HPV screening behaviors were primarily measured through participant self-report. There is limited research investigating post-baccalaureate student knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors about HPV and HPV vaccination. There is a need for researchers to further investigate the needs of graduate students to create informative and effective HPV programming.

The oncogenic potential of human papillomavirus (HPV) has been widely acknowledged in relation to multiple types of cancer. The objective of this investigation was to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the available evidence pertaining to the correlation between HPV and various types of cancer, such as cervical, colon, ovarian, and head and neck cancers, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were complied with to conduct a systematic literature search aimed at identifying studies that explore the correlation between HPV and the specified cancers. Databases such as Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library were queried up until May of 2023. Relevant literature was obtained, information was extracted, and the methodological rigor was evaluated. The high-risk HPV, namely HPV-16 and HPV-18, were detected as the most prevalent variants in KSA. A significant proportion of cervical cancer cases in the region were found to be associated HPV infection. The molecular tests have furnished evidence that establishes a connection between HPV infection and colonic polyps as well as colorectal cancer. This finding suggests that HPV may have a plausible role in the etiology of these medical conditions. The results of genotyping and integration analyses suggest a probable correlation between HPV and the development of ovarian cancer. Additionally, the prevalence of head and neck squamous cell cancer related to HPV was notably reduced in this particular geographical area. This study presents persuasive findings that establish a connection between HPV and cervical cancer and proposes plausible correlations with squamous cell carcinomas in the colon, ovaries, and head and neck. The aforementioned results emphasize the necessity for additional inquiry into the function of HPV in the onset and advancement of said malignancies. Further investigations are necessary to augment our comprehension of the role of HPV in these neoplasms.

We intended to update human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and p16INK4a positivity in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomars (SCC), and calculate HPV attributable fraction (AF) for oropharyngeal SCC by geographic region. We searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to identify published studies of HPV prevalence and p16INK4a positivity alone or together in oropharyngeal SCC before December 28, 2021. Studies that reported type-specific HPV DNA prevalence using broad-spectrum PCR-based testing methods were included. We estimated pooled HPV prevalence, type-specific HPV prevalence, and p16INK4a positivity. AF of HPV was calculated by geographic region. One hundred and thirty-four studies including 12 139 cases were included in our analysis. The pooled HPV prevalence estimate for oropharyngeal SCC was 48.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 43.2-53.0). HPV prevalence varied significantly by geographic region, and the highest HPV prevalence in oropharyngeal SCC was noted in North America (72.6%, 95% CI 63.8-80.6). Among HPV positive cases, HPV 16 was the most common type with a prevalence of 40.2% (95% CI 35.7-44.7). The pooled p16INK4a positivity in HPV positive and HPV16 positive oropharyngeal SCC cases was 87.2% (95% CI 81.6-91.2) and 91.7% (84.3-97.2). The highest AFs of HPV and HPV16 were noted in North America at 69.6% (95% CI 53.0-91.5) and 63.0% (48.0-82.7). [Correction added on 31 October 2023, after first online publication: the percentage symbol (%) was missing and has been added to 63.0% (48.0-82.7) in the Abstract and Conclusion.] A significant proportion of oropharyngeal SCC was attributable to HPV. HPV16 accounts for the majority of HPV positive oropharyngeal SCC cases. These findings highlight the importance of HPV vaccination in the prevention of a substantial proportion of oropharyngeal SCC cases.

Head and neck cancers represent a significant source of morbidity and mortality across the world. The individual genetic makeup of each tumor can help to determine the course of treatment and can help clinicians predict prognosis. Non-invasive tools to determine the genetic status of these tumors, particularly p16 (human papillomavirus (HPV)) status could prove extremely valuable to treating clinicians and surgeons. The field of radiomics is a burgeoning area of radiology practice that aims to provide quantitative biomarkers that can be derived from radiological images and could prove useful in determining p16 status non-invasively. In this review, we summarize the current evidence for the use of radiomics to determine the HPV status of head and neck tumors. .

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a subgroup of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and while not a common form of cancer, it does make up a modest portion of acute leukemia. The genetic hallmark of APL is the t(15;17)(q24.1;q21.2) promyelocytic leukemia/retinoic acid receptor alpha (PML/RARA) protein. We present the case of a patient who had undergone prior therapy for stage IIIC squamous cell carcinoma of the anorectal region with 5-fluorouracil, mitomycin C, and radiation and developed therapy-related acute promyelocytic leukemia about 18 months later. We also review the clinical features and management of APL while also highlighting that therapy-related APL, although uncommon, can develop from chemoradiation. The specific diagnosis of therapy-related APL is its own distinct diagnosis, but its treatment remains the same as primary APL.

Although HPV status is known to provide an improved prognosis in initial treatments of HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), it is unclear how it affects patients who receive salvage surgery (SS), which has historically poor survival rates. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of SS for patients with locoregional recurrence (LRR) of HPV-positive OPSCC and its impact survival rates. We conducted a scoping review of literature through October 2022 and included 995 individuals. Survival endpoints, such as overall survival (OS), Kaplan-Meier curves, and median post-recurrence survival, were analyzed in addition to demographics. Of all studies, 18.8% (6/32) reported any survival data for SS patients, with the most prevalent reporting 2- and 5-year OS in two studies. Median post-recurrence survival was not reported for SS. These findings reveal the limited and unpredictable reporting of survival-specific data on SS for HPV-positive OPSCC. With limited survival assessment, it is difficult to assess the potential advantages and disadvantages of this therapy to guide clinical decision-making.

Recurrent and refractory bacterial vaginosis is a potentially hazardous condition that affects the age-bearing population of women. We report the case of a 33-year-old patient presenting with recurrent bacterial vaginosis after attempting multiple regimens for the past three years. The patient had a history significant for ectopic pregnancy and multiple sexually transmitted diseases. Successfully managing this condition in the female population is crucial to prevent uncommon complications. Furthermore, introducing healthy vaginal microbiota can be the best course of action amongst patients with long-term recurrence of bacterial vaginosis.

Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection among young adults ages 15-25 years in the United States (US). Although HPV vaccines are recommended for individuals ages through 26 years, vaccine completion rates remain substantially low.
Accordingly, our study utilized a comprehensive - Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) of behavior change to systematically identify facilitators and barriers to catch-up HPV vaccinations. Five databases - Medline, Embase, CINAHL, ERIC, and PsycINFO were searched from January 2009 to July 2019 for empirical studies using quantitative and qualitative methods to assess HPV vaccine uptake among males ages 18-26 years within US college and university settings. The TDF analytic process included a content analysis using the mixed deductive-inductive approach to extract, analyze and categorize data into TDF domains/themes and sub-themes.
Overall, 17 studies were selected for data extraction. We identified eleven key TDF domains that influenced HPV vaccination behavior among college male students: \'knowledge\' (82% of included studies), \'environmental context and resources\' (53%), \'beliefs about consequences\' (53%), \'unrealistic optimism\' (50%) and \'pessimism\' (6%), \'emotion\' (50%), \'social influences\' (50%), \'beliefs about capabilities\' (41%), \'intention\' (24%), \'reinforcement\' (18%), \'social professional role and identity\'(12%), and \'behavioral regulation\' (12%). Barriers influencing HPV vaccine uptake included lack of knowledge and awareness regarding HPV infections, HPV vaccine safety, effectiveness, side effects, and costs; absence of health providers\' recommendations; lack of healthcare and health insurance; low levels of perceived susceptibility and severity for HPV infections; HPV vaccine misinformation; as well as social stigma and peer influences regarding HPV vaccinations. Enablers for HPV vaccine uptake included high levels of perceived benefits for HPV vaccines.
Our study theoretically identified factors influencing HPV vaccinations. This could inform the efficient planning, support, and implementation of interventions that facilitate catch-up HPV vaccination practices among high-risk males within college/university settings.