Emerging Trends in the Pathological Research of Human Papillomavirus-positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) have shown an alarming rate of increase in incidence over the past several decades, markedly in men. In the United States, transcriptionally-active human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly HPV 16, has become the highest contributive agent of OPSCCs, affecting approximately 16,000 people a year. Compared to patients with HPV-negative OPSCCs, patients with HPV-positive OPSCCs exhibit better health responses to chemoradiotherapy and an overall increase in long-term survival. Despite promising treatment options, many OPSCCs are discovered at an advanced stage, and ~20% of cases will recur after definitive treatment. Therefore, extensive research is ongoing to identify new targets for precision treatment and to stratify tumor prognosis. The aim of this review is to capture the most updated research on HPV-positive OPSCCs, emphasizing their relevance as potential new targets for precision medicine and survival prognosis.