Neck mass and sore throat appear to be the initial symptoms in patients with oropharyngeal (mouth and throat) squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), and the symptoms appear to be associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV) status of the tumors. The incidence of OPSCC has been on the rise, unlike other head and neck cancers that have been on the decline. The trend has been associated with an increased incidence of HPV-positive OPSCC (which comprised 40.5 percent of OPSCC cases before 2000 and up to 70 percent of cases since 2009).

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