Recent changes in the epidemiology of head and neck cancer

The presence or absence of human papillomavirus in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is a new parameter for prediction of long-term outcome of cancer of the oral cavity and of the oropharynx. Head and neck cancer among women in developing countries should deserve more attention, as the mortality rates appear to be higher than those of women in developed countries. For never smokers and never drinkers, more research needs to be done to identify their risk factor patterns.