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Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, making it increasingly important to understand the further clinical implications of HPV as it is linked to multiple cutaneous manifestations such as nonmelanoma skin cancer, as noted by several recent studies. An average of 13 million Americans are diagnosed with HPV annually; of those diagnosed, there are 36,500 cases of HPV-associated cancer; therefore, it is vital to have a strong understanding of why HPV causes several types of cancer. There is prominent evidence of HPV infection associated with squamous cell skin carcinoma in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. High-risk strains of HPV link to positive testing for cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas; therefore, physicians are routinely screening for HPV alongside cancer biopsies for suspicious warts. However, since HPV manifests in many different ways, there is an urgency to characterize the pathophysiology of HPV and identify specific risk factors for the development of HPV-associated cancers, including cervix, rectum, oropharynx, and skin cancer. By further characterizing HPV, there will be an opportunity to compare methods of prevention for multiple manifestations of HPV-associated cancers to help redefine prevention and screening methodologies. Currently, HPV-associated cervical cancer is the only type of cancer with an early-detection screening test. This manuscript explores HPV’s pathophysiology to identify further methods for early detection of HPV-associated cancers to improve patient health outcomes.