[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-364733-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-364733-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","revealing-the-viral-culprits-the-hidden-role-of-the-oral-virome-in-head-and-neck-cancers","Revealing the viral culprits: the hidden role of the oral virome in head and neck cancers","","The oral viral microbiome (oral virome)—a diverse community of viruses in the oral cavity—emerges as an important but insufficiently studied contributor to head and neck cancers (HNCs). This Mini Review synthesizes evidence connecting the oral virome to head and neck carcinogenesis, focusing on virus-associated oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal carcinomas. It also evaluates diagnostic and therapeutic implications, including salivary detection of viral biomarkers, targeted antiviral strategies, and prevention via vaccination, while noting technical limits, the need for longitudinal studies, and multi-omics integration to advance outcomes.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/","Healthcare",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/revealing-the-viral-culprits-the-hidden-role-of-the-oral-virome-in-head-and-neck-cancers/364733/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/revealing-the-viral-culprits-the-hidden-role-of-the-oral-virome-in-head-and-neck-cancers/364733.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Levi","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-09-23",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",11,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is the oral virome and why is it relevant to head and neck cancers?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The oral virome is the diverse community of viruses within the oral cavity. 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This review synthesizes recent evidence linking the oral virome to head and neck carcinogenesis, particularly oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal carcinomas—the most common virus-associated subtypes of HNCs. Beyond pathogenesis, the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of the oral virome are explored, including non-invasive salivary detection of viral biomarkers for early cancer diagnosis, the development of targeted antiviral therapies, and preventive vaccination strategies—exemplified by the success of HPV vaccines in reducing the incidence of oropharyngeal cancers. Despite these advancements, challenges persist, including technical limitations, the need for longitudinal studies, and the integration of multi-omics approaches. A comprehensive understanding of the oral virome could revolutionize cancer diagnostics, therapeutics, and prevention. Moving forward, collaborative interdisciplinary efforts will be essential to fully leverage virome research for improving HNC outcomes.  \nKeywords Oral virome · Head and neck cancers · Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma · Nasopharyngeal carcinoma · Human papillomavirus · Epstein–Barr virus · Human Herpesvirus  \nIntroduction  \nBackground on head and neck cancers  \nHead and neck cancers (HNCs), encompass a diverse group of malignancies arising in the oral cavity, oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx. Collectively, these cancers among the most prevalent cancers worldwide, with an estimated 890,000 new cases and 450,000 deaths reported in 2022 alone (Bray et al. 2024). Among these, head and neck  \nCommunicated by Yusuf Akhter.  \n􀀍 Abdelhakim Salem [abdelhakim.salem@helsinki.fi](abdelhakim.salem@helsinki.fi)  \n1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland  \n2 Translational Immunology Research Program (TRIMM), Research Program Unit (RPU), University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland  \n3 Head and Neck Oncobiome Group, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland  \nsquamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents the most common histological subtype, with the majority of cases originate in the oral (OSCC) and oropharyngeal (OPSCC) tissues. The global incidence and mortality rates of HNCsshow significant regional variations, with particularly high prevalence reported in South-Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Europe (Bray et al. 2024; Chi and Day 2015; Chamoli et al. 2021) .  \nThis variation is largely attributable to differences in risk factor prevalence, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, betel quid chewing, and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, which predominantly contribute to the development of OPSCC (Warnakulasuriya 2009; Chi and Day 2015; Johnson et al. 2020) . Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), another distinct subset of HNC, is strongly associated with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection, particularly in endemic regions such as Southern China and Southeast Asia (Young and Rickinson 2004) . Recent evidence also implicates oral dysbiosis and chronic inflammation in the disease’s pathogenesis (Metsäniitty et al. 2021) . However, a substantial proportion of cases occur in individuals without these well-established risk factors, suggesting the  \ninvolvement of additional unidentified oncogenic drivers (Llewellyn et al. 2001) .  \nDespite adv","cbCais9MCyw6B5Es","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCais9MCyw6B5Es","pdf",1707290,13,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction\n## Background on head and neck cancers\n# The oral microbiome and virome","[{\"question\":\"What is the oral virome and why is it relevant to head and neck cancers?\",\"answer\":\"The oral virome is the diverse community of viruses within the oral cavity. The review links this virome to head and neck carcinogenesis, particularly virus-associated oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal cancers.\"},{\"question\":\"Which virus-associated head and neck cancer subtypes are emphasized?\",\"answer\":\"The review highlights oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal carcinomas as the most common virus-associated subtypes of head and neck cancers.\"},{\"question\":\"What diagnostic and treatment applications are proposed for the oral virome?\",\"answer\":\"The review discusses non-invasive salivary detection of viral biomarkers for early diagnosis, development of targeted antiviral therapies, and preventive vaccination strategies, such as HPV vaccines.\"}]","Revealing the viral culprits: the hidden role of the oral virome in head and neck cancers | PDF",1790158844,33]