Human oncogenic viruses: a focus on head and neck carcinogenesis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective. This systematic review aimed at identifying oncoviruses associated with head and neck malignant neoplasms (HNC). Study Design. Five databases and grey literature sources were searched following PRISMA guidelines. The risk of bias in individual studies was analyzed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tool. Results. One hundred and 19 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. Gathered results of 57 studies were combined in a meta-analysis revealing a significant link between oncoviruses and the development of head and neck cancer, with the most common viruses identified were human papillomavirus (HPV)-16, HPV-18, and Epstein-Barr virus. More studies are needed to clarify the association of human cytomegalovirus and Merkel Cell Polyomavirus with HNC. Conclusions. Although the role of viruses in cancer onset has been studied for years, our results demonstrated using a meta-analysis that these viruses are associated with HNC. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2025;139:328-343)