Current Trends and Future Prospects of epidemiology of HPV-Induced oropharyngeal cancer: a bibliometric analysis

HPV-induced oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-OPC), caused by persistent infection with high-risk types such as HPV16 and HPV18, poses a significant global health challenge. Its epidemiological research focuses on prevention, detection, distribution, and disease incidence, revealing an increasing OPC burden related to HPV exposure. This study aims to identify research hotspots and trends in HPV-OPC epidemiology, highlighting the role of epidemiology in guiding prevention and control strategies. A bibliometric analysis of 960 articles (1987-2025) from WOSCC, SCOPUS, and PMC was performed, using Python to assess collaborations across countries, institutions, and individuals, as well as literature citation, research timelines, and clustering. Results show a substantial rise in publications, especially from 2013 to 2025, with the US and China as leading contributors and notable work from researchers like Sturgis Erich M and Li Guojun. Research primarily focuses on HPV vaccination, screening, attributable fraction, and incidence prediction, though challenges such as data quality, vaccination efficacy, limited resource, and modeling limitations. Future directions include improving data reliability, promoting early and direct vaccination, strengthening international funding, and integrating multiple models. This bibliometric study provides valuable insights into research hotspots and future directions in HPV-OPC, offering researchers and clinicians an overview of current situations and future developments in HPV-OPC epidemiology, potentially improving HPV vaccination and screening strategies and promoting preventive and diagnostic approaches to reduce OPC incidence.