OBJECTIVES:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of invasive cancers potentially related to HPV (cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, oral cavity and oropharynx), their treatment pathways and associated costs over a 3-year follow-up period in France. METHODS:  A retrospective, longitudinal, observational study was performed using the French hospital discharge database (PMSI). All patients newly hospitalized for a cancer of interest (ICD-10 codes: C00-06, C09-10, C21, C51-53) in 2011 were identified and followed over 3 years. Outpatient care and daily allowances were estimated from a recent study published by the French Health Insurance.  RESULTS:  In 2011, 3,221 patients were newly hospitalized for cervical cancers (incidence=9.6/100,000 women, age=58.2), 507 for vulvar cancers (incidence=1.5/100,000 women, age=71.4), 329 for vaginal cancers (incidence=1.0/100,000 women, age=66.5), 1,583 for anal cancers (incidence=2.4/100,000 inhabitants, age=65.3, men=27.6%), 3,660 for oral cavity cancers (incidence=5.6/100,000 inhabitants, age=62.5, men=72.5%), 6,917 for oropharynx cancers (incidence=10.7/100,000 inhabitants, age=61.19, men=80.4%) and 736 for oral cavity or oropharynx cancers unspecified (incidence=1.1/100,000 inhabitants, age=63.7, men=74.9%). Main treatments were mutilating surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, highly impacting the quality of life and daily activities of patients. Over the 3-year period, the mean costs per patient, including hospital, outpatient and daily allowances costs, were €31,930 (cervix), €29,360 (vulva), €32,512 (vagina), €27,237 (anus), €39,676 € (oral cavity) and €37,469 (oropharynx). Thus the total management cost of all these cancers amounts for more than €500 million of the French health insurance expenditures. CONCLUSIONS:  This study provides the most updated epidemiological and cost data concerning cancers potentially related to HPV in France. It shows that they have heavy consequences for patients and represent a significant burden for healthcare insurance. These data could help to assess the potential impact of HPV vaccination.