Publication at First Faculty of Medicine |
2008
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas develop predominantly in individuals over 40 years of age and more frequently in males. The strongest risk factors for this disease are long-term abuse of tobacco products and alcohol. Recently, several reports of increasing incidence of head and neck cancer in atypical population groups of females or young adults have been published, often in patients with no history of smoking or alcohol abuse. It seems highly probable that at least in a part of these cases, human papillomavirus (HPV) played an important etiological role.