Background: Oral cancer is a prevalent health concern in Sudan, with a rising incidence in recent years. This study aimed to assess the association between high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) subtypes 16 and 18 and oral cancer in Sudan.

Methodology: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples obtained from patients diagnosed with oral cancer between 2018 and 2022. We performed immunofluorescence (IF) to evaluate the p53 proteins’ expression by using specific antibodies according to standard laboratory protocol. In addition, the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) was determined by using a specific antibody against high-risk HPV subtypes 16 and 18.

Results: HPV positivity was observed in 17 cases out of 117 (14.5%), whereas HPV negativity was 100 out of 117 (85.5%). In contrast, p53 demonstrated a relatively high expression rate, positive in 79 cases out of 117 (67.5%), compared to 38 out of 117 (32.5%) negative cases.