The results of the epidemiological and molecular biological studies in the last years provides the evidence that besides the group of head and neck cancers etiologically linked to tobacco and alcohol consumption a group of tumours, mostly localized in the oropharynx, etiologically linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection exists. The aim of our work was to provide an overview about the presence and relevance of HPV in oral and oropharyngeal tumours in the Czech population, about the risk factors of these tumours and about the possible applications of the knowledge about HPV to the clinical practice. Patients with oral/oropharyngeal tumours and a group of age and gender matched controls were enrolled. Analyses were done on 86 patients and 124 controls. Data about risk factors and sexual behaviour were gained by a questionnaire. Cells from oral/oropharyngeal rinses and from tumour samples were examined for HPV DNA presence by PCR and reverse blot hybridisation. Sera of subjects and controls were examined for the presence of HPV-specific antibodies. HPV prevalence was 61.6% in the tumour tissue and it was higher in the oropharynx (68%), than in the oral cavity (18.2%). The group of patients with HPV positive tumours was characterized by lower prevalence of smokers and consumers of alcohol than the group of patients with HPV negative tumours. Regarding age, gender, and sexual behaviour no difference between these two groups was found. In general, the most important risk factor of oral/oropharyngeal cancer was tobacco and alcohol consumption, lower education and higher number of sexual partners. The presence of HPV was favourable for the prognosis of the disease. The presence of HPV in oral/oropharyngeal rinses and the presence of HPV-specific antibodies correlate significantly with the presence of virus in the tumour tissue.

        Key words: HPV, oropharyngeal cancer, epidemiology, prognosis.