According to Cancer Australia, there were almost 5000 new cases of head and neck cancer diagnosed in Australia in 2017 making it the seventh most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country. More than 1000 Australians died from head and neck cancers during 2017, with a 5-year relative survival rate of 69% from 2009–2013. This has improved only marginally from 61% in 1984–1988.
SCCHN comprises a heterogeneous group of tumours that arise from the squamous epithelium of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx and hypopharynx. While many SCCHNs are related to behavioural risk factors such as smoking and alcohol use, infection with HPV (predominantly HPV-16 subtype) is associated with a clinically, genomically and immunologically distinct subgroup of tumours arising from the epithelium of the tonsil and base of the tongue. HPV-positive SCCHN is becoming increasingly common in many Western countries and is associated with improved prognosis compared with HPV-negative SCCHN.