OROPHARYNGEAL CANCER: THE VIRUS THAT CHANGED THE RULES

Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide. Along with other "classical" risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, the human papillomavirus (HPV) is well established to play a pivotal role in the development of head and neck cancers, particularly in oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). While head and neck cancer incidence decline worldwide, OPC is on the rise. The incidence of HPV-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma predominantly increased in younger, married male patients with higher socioeconomic status and with high-risk sexual practices. This OPC subtype is characterized by limited local tumor with a substantially larger regional nodal disease. However, HPV-positive OPC patients exhibited a significantly better prognosis than patients with HPV-negative OPC, leading to a recent change in the clinical guidelines. The current non-surgical standard of care for OPC results in excellent disease control, though associated with substantial toxicity. Numerous studies now focus on less intensive (i.e., deintensified) treatment for the improvement of patient safety while maintaining excellent disease control. Furthermore, the recent development of more advanced surgical techniques with promising outcomes may shift the therapeutic paradigm back to the operating room. During the past decade, there is widespread use of HPV vaccination, and lately, it was also approved for boys. However, the preventive effects of the HPV vaccine on head and neck cancers, particularly on OPC is yet to be determined.