It's a contributor to multiple other cancers. Now, infectious disease doctors have made a new discovery that could significantly impact treatment potential.
“The lifetime risks of acquiring HPV infection exceed 80% for women and 90% for men,” reads a 2025 report published by the National Institutes of Health. Commonly referred to as “HPV,” it’s the nation’s most widespread sexually transmitted disease that’s so prevalent, with such strong causation links to some reproductive cancers, that a vaccine was developed to promote prevention. Medical University of South Carolina noted that thanks to the HPV vaccine, cervical cancer cases that develop from HPV have dropped by 62% over the past decade. The Mayo Clinic notes the HPV vaccine is available for people ages nine years to 45, and many physicians encourage vaccine participation because no other cancer can be prevented with a vaccine. (Pap smears are a means of cervical cancer screening, as early detection tends to yield the most favorable outcomes. Paps can also detect the presence of HPV.)
Previously, the virus had been demonstrated as a contributor to cancers of the cervix, anus, vagina, vulva, penis, mouth, and throat. Now, taking into account its skin-to-skin transmission path, researchers have identified another site of the body where HPV can lead to cancer. Their finding could also inform how some skin cancer cases are treated.
In a July 2025 case study, a group of infectious disease researchers with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that beta-human papilloma virus (beta-HPV), a sexually transmitted infection commonly found on the skin, can cause cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) among immunocompromised individuals. The second-most common skin cancer after basal cell carcinoma, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is rarely life-threatening but can spread to other parts of the body when left untreated.
Before the study, scientists believed that beta-HPV could accelerate cancer-causing DNA mutations caused by UV radiation, but the newest study suggests a more direct causal link. The research followed the treatment of a 34-year old woman diagnosed with both HPV and a recurrent cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma lesion on her forehead. While studying her case, the team saw that beta-HPV had “integrated into the cellular DNA of the woman’s well-established tumor and was extensively producing viral proteins there.” As it turned out, the beta-HPV was hindering her immune cells, known as T-cells, from healing after surgeries and other treatments. However, using a stem cell transplant, the NIH team was able to successfully replace those poorly functioning T-cells with healthy ones and eradicate her cancer, confirming that beta-HPV had been the cause.
“This discovery could completely change how we think about the development, and consequently the treatment, of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in people who have a health condition that compromises immune function,” said lead study author Andrea Lisco, MD, PhD. “It suggests that there may be more people out there with aggressive forms of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma who have an underlying immune defect and could benefit from treatments targeting the immune system.”
A March 2025 study conducted by German dermatologists found that 80% of skin swab and eyebrow samples tested positive for beta-HPV, highlighting just how common it is. Though it can be spread through sexual contact, it can also be spread through “everyday contact with people or objects,” making early childhood infections common.
“Given the increased rates of skin cancer, enhancing the immune response through HPV vaccination could be a promising strategy for prevention, treatment and improving responses to immunotherapies for skin cancers,” that team concluded.
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