Analyses of TCGA and MSK-IMPACT cohorts indicate that HPV-positive status is a superior predictor of HNSCC outcomes compared to immune checkpoint inhibitor responses, independent of PD-L1 levels, and correlates with higher expression of inflammatory genes and CD8+ T cell infiltration in HPV-positive HNSCC tumors (37). This evidence concerns the gene CD274 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.