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HPV Related Head and Neck Cancers
Cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx constitute a serious and increasing public health problem worldwide. More than 55,000 Americans will develop cancer of the head and neck this year; nearly 13,000 of them will die from it. Worldwide, there are an estimated 600,000 head and neck cancer cases reported in men and 270,000 cases reported in women annually. In clinical studies, HPV DNA has been found in an average of 25-30 percent of head and neck tumors. The specific percentages of cancers attributable to HPV can increase depending upon the location of the cancer. The majority of HPV-positive tumors contained the “high risk” HPV types 16 (70-90 percent) and 18 (5-34 percent, depending on location); Among head and neck sites, HPV was most often detected in tumors of the oropharynx (33-39 percent), followed by the oral cavity (22-25 percent) and larynx (22-26 percent). These cancers are treated with surgery and with primary radiation therapy.
Tumors of the pharyngeal wall are typically diagnosed in an advanced stage because of the silent location in which they develop. Symptoms may include pain, bleeding, weight loss, and a neck mass. These lesions can spread. Because most pharyngeal tumors extend past the midline, bilateral cervical metastases are common.
Serious HPV-related diseases
  HspE7 HPV-related Cancer (PDF)
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