Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an important cause of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) in many world regions, the large majority of HPV-driven OPC being caused by HPV type 16. In countries with high human development index, particularly in the United States (US) and Europe, both the incidence of OPC and the attributable proportion due to HPV are rising. In the US, the burden of OPC is now greater than cervical cancer, given the success achieved by cervical cancer screening. This increasing OPC disease burden highlights the need for parallel preventive measures like screening. Yet, there have been arguments against additional research on HPV-driven OPC screening, including, the promise of primary prevention through HPV vaccination, the currently low incidence rates, and favorable outcomes with current therapy compared to non-HPV driven head and neck cancers. This talk aims to discuss issues related to screening for HPV-driven OPC and highlight areas which require additional future research in the following subject areas: disease incidence, possible screening biomarkers, diagnostics among screen positives, and treatment.
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