Diagnosing HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Cancers: The Need to Speak a Common Language

Oral cavity squamous cell cancer (OSCC) and Oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) are the most frequent forms of Head and Neck Cancers (HNCs) [1]. About 300,000 new cases of oral cancers are being counted yearly worldwide, having registered an increase of incidence of 225% in U.S.A. in the last 20 years, with about 50% of related deaths [2,3]. The relevant advances in treatments of OSCC during the last decades, allowed updated surgery techniques, robotic surgery, intensive induction chemotherapy and hyperfractionated radiotherapy to be currently applied to the advanced cases. Unfortunately, most of these therapies often carry severe acute and chronic side effects, heavily impacting on patients' quality of life.