Human papillomavirus accounts both for increased incidence and better prognosis in tonsillar cancer.

The aim of this review is to present the current knowledge on the status and significance of human papillomavirus (HPV) in tonsillar cancer. An increase in the incidence of tonsillar cancer has been reported and recent data suggest that this increase is due to an increased proportion of HPV in these tumours. Furthermore, patients with HPV positive cancer have been shown to have a lower risk of relapse and longer survival compared to patients with HPV-negative tonsillar cancer. Tailoring individual treatment in tonsillar cancer may be of importance in order to reduce patient suffering as well as to increase patient survival. Finally, the fact that the presence of HPV-type 16 E6 and E7 mRNA has been ascertained in tonsillar cancer suggests that HPV-16 indeed is an aetiological factor associated with the disease and that preventive vaccination for this patient group should be discussed.