How prevalent is HPV-derived head and neck cancer?

Over the past decade there has been at least a four to five-fold increase in the number of tonsillar and base of tongue cancers as a result of HPV. Research indicates that approximately 60 percent of cases of a type of squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck area are HPV-related, and this number is rising quickly. Several studies evaluating the prevalence of active oral HPV infection have found that three to five percent of adolescents and five to 10 percent of adults have active HPV infection.  In contrast to active infection, estimates are that 70 percent of adults have been exposed to HPV virus as demonstrated by the presence of HPV antibodies in their blood.