HPV-related head and neck cancers occur mainly in the
oropharynx ( tonsils and the back of the tongue ). However, a 2013 study from China found HPV infection, especially infection due to the high-risk type HPV-16, was found to be significantly associated with the risk
of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
Knowing whether one’s cancer was
caused by HPV may help physicians determine the patient prognosis and
survival. Head and neck cancers caused by HPV infection tend to respond
better to current treatments as compared to head and neck cancers caused by
tobacco or alcohol use. There are also new treatment options available to
patients whose cancers are caused by HPV . These include vaccine
clinical trials and treatment protocols that use less radiation
and chemotherapy. These are easier for the patient to tolerate as they may
generate fewer side effects.
The only way that head and neck
cancers can be evaluated for the presence of HPV is to biopsy
the lesion and test it for the presence of HPV DNA. Patients who have
already completed surgery, for head and neck cancer, can find out if their
cancer is HPV related if the pathology sample is still available.
Laryngeal cancer