Pathology · single question
Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is most strongly associated with which infectious agent?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Human papillomavirus (especially type 16)
- A. Correct. HPV-16 is strongly associated with oropharyngeal SCC.
- B. EBV is linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma and lymphoma, not oral SCC.
- C. HSV-1 causes herpetic lesions, not SCC.
- D. Candida is a fungus associated with chronic hyperplastic candidiasis but is not the primary SCC agent.
Note: The recall flagged lichen planus, which is a separate premalignant condition; the infectious association being asked here is HPV.