The Changing Face of Head and Neck Cancer in the 21st Century: The Impact of HPV on the Epidemiology and Pathology of Oral Cancer

2009/02/23 by William H. Westra · 4 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Dentistry · Medicine · #Cancer #Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research #Disease #Epidemiology #Head and Neck Cancer Studies #Head and neck #Head and neck cancer #Head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma #Human papillomavirus #Incidence (geometry) #Internal medicine #Medicine #Oncology #Oral Health Pathology and Treatment #Otorhinolaryngology #Pathology #Surgery

paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s12105-009-0100-y

openalex publication_date 2009/02/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

The longstanding notion that head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a uniform disease process is changing. Divergence in epidemiologic trends among HNSCCs arising in different anatomic subsites has introduced a view that HNSCC is a heterogeneous group. Analysis of molecular genetic changes discloses not just individual tumor differences, but also consistent large-scale differences that permit the recognition of important tumor subtypes. One recently recognized subtype is the human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma. HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer now dominates the head and neck oncology landscape, and its escalating incidence is impacting on diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic practices.

Citations

• Improved Survival of Patients With Human Papillomavirus-Positive Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma in a Prospective Clinical Trial
• Case–Control Study of Human Papillomavirus and Oropharyngeal Cancer
• 2015 American Thyroid Association Management Guidelines for Adult Patients with Thyroid Nodules and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: The American Thyroid Association Guidelines Task Force on Thyroid Nodules and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
• Trends in head and neck cancer incidence in relation to smoking prevalence
• Age, sexual behavior and human papillomavirus infection in oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers
• Incidence Trends for Human Papillomavirus–Related and –Unrelated Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas in the United States
• Evidence for a Causal Association Between Human Papillomavirus and a Subset of Head and Neck Cancers

Cited by

• Refining the diagnosis of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma using human papillomavirus testing
• De-escalation treatment protocols for human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of current clinical trials
• Biological and clinical relevance of transcriptionally active human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma
• HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer [wikipedia]

Related

• HPV-Associated Head and Neck Cancer
• The role of human papillomavirus in head and neck cancer
• Human Papillomavirus in Head and Neck Cancer: Its Role in Pathogenesis and Clinical Implications
• The Epidemic of HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer Is Here: Is It Time to Change Our Treatment Paradigms?
• Epidemiology of Human Papillomavirus–Positive Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma