Although one publication reported that 46.2% of squamous cell cancer in immunosuppressed patients was positive for high‐risk HPV in association with diffuse p16 expression,31 the other showed that p16 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas was associated with retinoblastoma (Rb1) protein loss but not HPV infection.32 Here, RB1 is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.