Human papillomavirus in prostate cancer: examining the evidence for a co-factor role

The etiological role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in Prostate cancer (PCa) remains unresolved due to stark contradictions between observational associations and molecular detection studies. Traditional models attempting to define HPV as an independent driver of PCa struggle to reconcile these contradictions. This review aims to critically evaluate the conflicting evidence and propose a new framework: HPV may primarily function as a molecular cofactor rather than an independent carcinogenic driv