oropharyngeal cancer
Meaning of oropharyngeal cancer: Oropharyngeal cancer develops in the back of the throat, including the tonsils and base of tongue, with a growing share linked to HPV infection.
Definition of oropharyngeal cancer
Oropharyngeal cancer is cancer that forms in the oropharynx, the section of the throat located behind the mouth that includes the base of the tongue, the tonsils, the soft palate, and the side and back walls of the throat. Most oropharyngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, arising from the flat cells lining this area.
Tobacco use and heavy alcohol consumption are established risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer, similar to oral cancer, but a substantial and increasing share of oropharyngeal cancers are instead associated with infection by certain strains of human papillomavirus, transmitted through oral sexual contact.
Oropharyngeal cancer linked to human papillomavirus tends to behave somewhat differently and generally carries a more favorable outlook than oropharyngeal cancer related mainly to tobacco and alcohol, a distinction that has become an important part of how the disease is evaluated and understood.
Used in a sentence
Testing of the tumor sample for human papillomavirus was performed as part of the oropharyngeal cancer workup.
Good to know
Oropharyngeal cancer associated with human papillomavirus infection is increasingly common and tends to follow a different course than disease related mainly to tobacco and alcohol, a distinction that influences how each case is evaluated.
Word origin
Where “oropharyngeal cancer” comes from
Formed from Latin os, oris, meaning mouth, and Greek pharynx, meaning throat, combined with cancer, from Latin cancer, meaning crab.