Staging and Tumor Characteristics of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer in Northern Nevada: A Retrospective Descriptive Study

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has demonstrated demographic and geographic disparities in national datasets, but regional data remain limited. This retrospective study analyzed 296 OPSCC patients diagnosed or treated at Renown Regional Medical Center in Northern Nevada between 2014 and 2024. Clinical and demographic variables, including sex, county of residence, and Nevada income quintile, were compared with tumor stage, size, nodal involvement, and metastasis using the chi-squared tests. Stage IV disease was most common at diagnosis (36.5%; N=108), and the majority of patients were male (79.7%; N=235) and White (94.9%; N=281). No statistically significant associations were found between staging variables and sex (p=0.05), geography (p=0.73), or income level (p=0.532). These findings suggest potential regional equity in staging at diagnosis and highlight the need for expanded studies that incorporate broader social determinants and multicenter data to validate trends in HPV-mediated OPSCC presentation.