Although human papillomavirus (HPV)+ oropharyngeal cancers often present with metastasis, most patients have excellent long-term survival. The reason underlying such an apparent contradiction remains unclear, but we have recently demonstrated that the improved survival of HPV+ oropharyngeal cancer patients has an immunological component, as the levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can be used to stratify HPV+ patients into high-risk and low-risk groups.
Keywords: human papillomavirus; oropharyngeal cancer; prognosis; survival; tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.