Genetic susceptibility to HNC has been investigated,42 with the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) of oral and pharyngeal cancer (6,034 cases and 6,585 controls from Europe, North America and South America), detecting seven unique loci.43 Of note, oropharyngeal subgroup analysis revealed a strong protective association at chromosome 6p21.32 (lead variant rs3828805, mapping to HLA-DQB1) within the human leucocyte antigen (HLA) Class II region. The gene discussed is HLA-DQB1; the disease is pharynx cancer.