The significance of human papillomaviruses in head and neck cancer development

Head and neck cancers (HNC) are a heterogeneous group of diseases. Histopathological, these are head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) epithelium of the skin, mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract, pharynx and larynx. HNSCC is the fifth leading cause of cancer worldwide. The most important risk factors are alcohol and smoking. In the recent years, the studies have been conducted in order to prove the role of HPV in HNSCC carcinogenesis. The prevalence of HPV in HNSCC is 30%. HPV is often detected in biological materials of males. People with HPV positive HNSCC respond better to treatment and have a better treatment outcome than patients with no proven HPV. In the future, HPV should be the marker that will influence the choice of therapy in patients with HNSCC, but also the factor that will indicate the outcome of this malignancy in the human population.