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Human Papillomavirus and Oropharyngeal Cancer: What You Need to Know in 2009

  • Head and Neck Cancer
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Opinion statement

Oropharyngeal cancer has demonstrated a steady increase in incidence over the past 20 years in contrast to declining numbers of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) overall. Recent evidence has found that high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) are the likely cause of the changing epidemiology of oropharyngeal cancer. HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer has a molecular, epidemiological, and clinical profile that is distinct from non-HPV HNSCC. Clinicians managing oropharyngeal HNSCC need to be aware of differences in the HPV HNSCC population which may impact treatment outcomes. Testing of HNSCC tumor tissue for HPV using validated and precise techniques should be performed when feasible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Rutledge Avenue MSC 550, Charleston, SC, 29425-5500, USA

    M. Boyd Gillespie MD, MS, Semyon Rubinchik PhD, Brian Hoel PhD & Natalie Sutkowski PhD

  2. MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Head and Neck Tumor Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    M. Boyd Gillespie MD, MS

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  1. M. Boyd Gillespie MD, MS
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  2. Semyon Rubinchik PhD
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  3. Brian Hoel PhD
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  4. Natalie Sutkowski PhD
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Correspondence to M. Boyd Gillespie MD, MS.

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Gillespie, M.B., Rubinchik, S., Hoel, B. et al. Human Papillomavirus and Oropharyngeal Cancer: What You Need to Know in 2009. Curr. Treat. Options in Oncol. 10, 296–307 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11864-009-0113-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11864-009-0113-5

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