Among these pathways, protein processing in the estrogen signaling pathway, endoplasmic reticulum, antigen processing and presentation, Prostate cancer, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, Epstein-Barr virus infection, MAPK signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, and Th17 cell differentiation were involved in tumor development and pathogenesis in HNSC (Additional file 5: Fig S5A and B). This evidence concerns the gene IL17A and Epstein-Barr virus infection.