Association was found between Hepatitis C and Head and Neck Cancers.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. After noting that many of their patients with head and Neck Cancers (HNCs) also have HCV infection, Mahale and colleagues of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, investigated whether such anassociation actually exists. In patients seen between 2004 to 2014.

The investigators compared 409 patients with HNCs to 694 with smoking-associated (lung, esophagus, or bladder) cancers seen between 2004 to 2014. The prevalence of HCV infection was higher in oropharyngeal cancer patients (14.0%) , and especially in HPV-positive ones (16.9%), and non oropharyngeal HNC patients (20.0%) than in control subjects (6.5%). A statistically significant association of HCV infection was found with non oropharyngeal (except nasopharyngeal) HNCs and HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers.

The authors concluded that further studies are required to explore the possible interaction between HCV and HPV, and the association between HCV and other HPV-related malignancies.