Oral sex has replaced smoking as the main risk factor for throat cancer. In the field of oncology, human papillomavirus (HPV) has replaced tobacco and alcohol as the primary pathogenic factor for oropharyngeal cancer, a significant shift that is particularly notable.

This specific strain, most commonly HPV-16, primarily attacks the tonsils and the back of the throat, where it persists and replicates. While the human body can clear most HPV infections, persistent infection triggers cellular changes that eventually develop into malignant tumors.