Prevalence of oncogenic human papillomavirus 16 and 18 in the palatine tonsils of the general adult population.

Objective: To determine whether there has been a demonstrable increase in the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-infected palatine tonsils corresponding to the increase in incidence of HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) over time.

Design: Review of archived, paraffin-embedded, noncancerous palatine tonsils.

Setting: A single institution in El Paso County, Colorado.

Accelerated fractionation head and neck intensity-modulated radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy in the community setting: safety and efficacy considerations.

Background: This article reviews our community cancer center's experience treating head and neck cancer primarily with accelerated fractionation intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), with or without concurrent chemotherapy, focusing on acute toxicity and efficacy.

Methods: Fifty-two patients treated with IMRT at the Penrose Cancer Center between 2002 and 2007 constitute the cohort. The majority (75%) received an accelerated, altered fractionation regimen, typically concomitant boost to 7200 cGy.

Rising incidence of oropharyngeal cancer and the role of oncogenic human papilloma virus.

Objectives/hypothesis: To document the increasing incidence of oropharyngeal (OP) cancer and to provide evidence that this increase is caused by oncogenic human papilloma virus (HPV).

Study Design: Epidemiologic review and retrospective case series analysis.

Methods: We collected data from Colorado and the United States comparing the average annual age-adjusted incidence rates of OP and non-OP head and neck cancer between the periods 1980 to 1990 and 1991 to 2001.