Oral medicine and oral cancer: HPV and oropharyngeal cancer: practice question

A Dentistry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Dentistry · Oral medicine and oral cancer: HPV and oropharyngeal cancer

Sample item

A 48-year-old non-smoker presents with a painless neck node, and biopsy of the tonsil shows p16-positive squamous cell carcinoma. Which virus is implicated?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Human papillomavirus type 16

HPV 16 is the principal cause of the rising incidence of oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma, and p16 acts as a surrogate marker. These tumours respond better to treatment than tobacco-related disease.

Option by option

  • A. Epstein-Barr virus

    EBV is linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Burkitt lymphoma.

  • B. Herpes simplex virus 1

    HSV-1 causes herpetic gingivostomatitis and is not a recognised cause of this cancer.

  • C. Cytomegalovirus

    CMV is not an oncogenic cause of oral cancer.

  • D. Human papillomavirus type 16 (correct)

    Correct. HPV 16 is the main virus linked to p16-positive oropharyngeal cancer.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is D, Human papillomavirus type 16. HPV 16 is the principal cause of the rising incidence of oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma, and p16 acts as a surrogate marker.

Why is "Epstein-Barr virus" not the answer?

EBV is linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Burkitt lymphoma.

Why is "Herpes simplex virus 1" not the answer?

HSV-1 causes herpetic gingivostomatitis and is not a recognised cause of this cancer.

Why is "Cytomegalovirus" not the answer?

CMV is not an oncogenic cause of oral cancer.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral medicine and oral cancer: HPV and oropharyngeal cancer in Dentistry. These tumours respond better to treatment than tobacco-related disease.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Oral medicine and oral cancer: HPV and oropharyngeal cancer?

Learn the dental formula, eruption ages and tooth structure once, as tables. Then use the flashcards and the other Dentistry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.