Moreover, taking into account that HPV status infection as well as tobacco and/or alcohol consumption are the main risk factors for HNSCC disease and that HNSCC etiology determines the subtype of HNSCC with a particular biology and a concomitant response to treatment [13,14], we asked ourselves if there could be any association between such risk factors and HO-1 mRNA expression. The gene discussed is HMOX1; the disease is head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.