Burden of HPV-associated cancers in Peruvian men: Evidence from national health data

HPV-associated cancers in men represent a growing public health concern in Latin America, yet evidence on burden remains limited. We analyzed national data in Peru (2015-2019) to estimate outpatient consultations, hospitalization, and death rates for HPV-associated cancers and applied site-specific attributable fractions to derive HPV-attributable burden. Rates were age-standardized (ASR) to the WHO World Standard Population. Sensitivity analysis excluded mortality data for 2015-2016 to account for improvements in cause‑of‑death completeness. Between 2015 and 2019, 5,996 outpatient consultations for HPV-associated cancers in men were recorded (ASR: 8.2 per 100,000), mainly due to head and neck (56.3%) and penile (30.4%) cancers. A total of 1,136 hospitalizations were identified (ASR: 1.6 per 100,000), with head and neck and penile cancers accounting for 46.3% and 45.9% of total hospitalizations, respectively. Rates increased with age, reaching 38.0 outpatient consultations and 7.5 hospitalizations per 100,000 among men ≥60 years, but were also present among younger (<30 years) and middle-aged (30-59 years) men. Applying attributable fractions, 2,056 outpatient consultations (ASR: 2.8) and 402 hospitalizations (ASR: 0.6) were HPV-attributable, with penile cancer contributing the largest share. A total of 859 deaths from HPV-associated cancers were recorded (ASR: 1.2), of which 208 were HPV-attributable (ASR: 0.3), predominantly among men aged ≥60 years (77.2%). Sensitivity analysis had minimal impact on mortality estimates. HPV‑attributable cancers impose a substantial and preventable burden on Peruvian men. Strengthening universal HPV vaccination, ensuring high coverage, expanding multi‑age catch‑up strategies, and improving access to early diagnosis and treatment are essential to reduce future burden.