Which cancer is most relevant to ENT practice and associated with HPV infection?

• A. Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
• B. Adenocarcinoma of the larynx
• C. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
• D. Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma

Answer: (A)

HPV infection is most strongly linked to cancers in the oropharynx, especially the base of the tongue and tonsils. This makes oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma the cancer most relevant to ENT practice when considering HPV. HPV-16 is the leading genotype, and p16 overexpression is commonly used as a surrogate marker. These HPV-positive tumors often occur in younger patients who may have never smoked and tend to respond better to radiotherapy and chemoradiation, influencing prognosis and treatment decisions. The other cancers listed are not characteristically driven by HPV: laryngeal adenocarcinoma has more traditional risk factors, nasopharyngeal carcinoma is strongly associated with Epstein-Barr virus, and sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma is rare and not typically HPV-driven.