Table 1.
Characteristics of HPV-positive and negative SCCHN
| Characteristic | HPV-positive | HPV-negative |
|---|---|---|
| Incidence | Increasing | Decreasing |
| Disease location | Predominant in oropharynx | Various |
| Age | Younger | Older |
| Race | More prevalent in white | Less prevalent in white |
| Socioeconomic status | Higher | Lower |
| Tobacco/Alcohol | Not strongly associated | Strongly associated |
| Oral hygiene/dentition | Better | Worse |
| Marijuana | Associated | Not associated |
| No. of sexual partners | Higher | Lower |
| Oral sexual contact | More frequent | Less frequent |
| Genomic alterations | FGFR3, E2F1, TRAF3 | TP53, CDKN2A, MYC, CCND1 |
| Prognosis | Better | Worse |
HPV, human papilloma virus; SCCHN, squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck; FGFR3, fibroblast growth factor receptor 3; E2F1, E2F transcription factor 1; TRAF3, TNF receptor-associated factor 3; CDKN2A, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A; CCND1, cyclin D1.