In OTSCC samples, significant upregulation of selected inhibitory T cell checkpoints genes ICOS (P = .015), TIGIT (P = .041), CTLA4 (P = .003), CD160 (P = .001), TNFRSF9 (P = .014), and GITR (TNFRSF18, P < .001) was observed but not for TIM3, CD39, LAG3, CD244, or OX40 when compared to non‐cancer samples. Here, ICOS is linked to cancer.