The Efficacy of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination as an Adjuvant Therapy in Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis

Objective: To characterize the efficacy of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination as an adjuvant therapy in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP).

Data sources: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Science databases were queried for articles published before April 2021.

Review methods: All retrieved studies (n = 870) were independently analyzed by two reviewers according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. 13 studies met inclusion criteria. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to study intersurgical interval (ISI) and number of surgical procedures per year before and after vaccination.

Results: The systematic review included 13 studies, comprising 243 patients. All studies utilized the Gardasil® quadrivalent vaccine, and one study (Yiu et al. 2019) utilized both the quadrivalent and Gardasil® 9-valent vaccines. Our meta-analysis included 62 patients with ISI data across 4 studies, and 111 patients with data on the number of surgical procedures per month across 7 studies. The mean number of surgical procedures decreased by 4.43 per year after vaccination (95% CI, -7.48 to -1.37). Mean ISI increased after vaccination, with a mean difference of 15.73 months (95% CI, 1.46-29.99). Two studies reported on HPV sero-conversion, with HPV seropositivity of 100% prior to vaccination and 25.93% after vaccination.

Conclusion: The addition of HPV vaccination was associated with an increase in time between surgeries and reduction in the number of surgical procedures required. HPV vaccination may be a beneficial adjuvant treatment for RRP.

Level of evidence: NA Laryngoscope, 133:2046-2054, 2023.