Variants of XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism were associated with increased HNSCC risk and the associations were significant based on heterozygous and dominant models (heterozygous model: OR = 1.182, 95%CI = 1.015–1.377, P = 0.032; homozygous model: OR = 1.274, 95%CI = 0.940–1.727, P = 0.119; dominant model: OR = 1.194, 95%CI = 1.027–1.388, P = 0.021; recessive model: OR = 1.181, 95%CI = 0.885–1.576, P = 0.119). The gene discussed is XRCC1; the disease is head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.