Head and neck malignancy is on the rise, where the majority of the tumors
are squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Previously, alcohol and tobacco are reported
to be the well-established risk factors for HNSCC development. Currently, the HPV
driven HNSCC has shown an increase in incidence globally, with oropharyngeal and
oral cavity carcinoma predominating at certain geographic locations. HPV associated
oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma commonly occurs in Europe and certain
Western countries. They have different biological profiles compared to HPV-negative
HNSCC. HPV-positive HNSCC patients have different characteristics and prognosis,
which remarkably affect the management of this subset of patients. HPV is a
significant inflammatory agent that can promote carcinogenesis via multiple critical
mechanisms that are discussed in the chapters. Targeting HPV for future research is a
great promising avenue for the discovery of novel screening, diagnostic, and
therapeutic targets.
Keywords: Alcohol and tobacco, Chronic inflammation, Head and neck cancer
survival, Head and neck carcinoma, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Prognosis,
Treatment outcomes.
