La infección por virus del papiloma humano afecta el pronóstico del cáncer orofaríngeo escamocelular. Revisión de la literatura

Background: Squamous cell cancer of the head and neck can be caused mainly by high cigarette and alcohol consumption. However, about 30% of tumors can be caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) mainly in the oropharynx. In the last decade, the frequency of this tumor has increased worldwide. Purpose: To analyze the characteristics and differences of oropharyngeal tumors associated or not with HPV infection. Methods: A review of the literature on the association between HPV, oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer, and its prognosis was performed. Findings: HPV is an oncogenic virus. It is estimated that about 40 HPV types can infect humans, of which 14 are directly related to carcinogenic processes. Several studies show that the HPV 16 genotype occurs more frequently and aggressively than other HPV genotypes associated with this type of tumor. Oropharynx cancer has a higher prevalence in males, possibly related to practices such as oral sex. Recently, a better prognosis for HPV-positive tumors has been observed when compared to negative tumors. This is because the former have a better response to chemotherapy and radiation, which results in a favorable overall survival rate (p=0.046, log-rank), as estimated through Kaplan-Meier curves.