Description:

You will receive 1 credit(s) of continuing education credit upon successful completion of this course.

The increasing incidence of oropharyngeal cancers associated with human papillomavirus infection has become a significant public health concern. Health care providers, including dentists, have a great opportunity to promote head and neck cancer awareness and recognize early signs of oral and oropharyngeal carcinomas, yet many providers and their patients are unaware of the risk factors, signs, and symptoms of these cancers. The focus of this course is to provide an overview on the connection between HPV and oropharyngeal cancer as well as practical information regarding communication about HPV immunization programs and oropharyngeal cancer prevention.

Learning Objectives: 

• Recognize early signs of oral and oropharyngeal carcinomas 

• Understand the connection between HPV and oropharyngeal cancer 

• Identify oropharyngeal cancer prevention strategies


Course Curriculum

  HPV and Oral Pharyngeal Cancer: The Role of Healthcare Providers
Available in days
days after you enroll

Alessandro Villa, DDS, PhD


Alessandro Villa, DDS, PhD is an associate surgeon in the Division of Oral Medicine and Dentistry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard School of Dental Medicine where he also serves as program director of the Oral Medicine Residency. Dr. Villa obtained his DDS degree and a PhD in Italy. He served as a post-doctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute, obtained his Master of Public Health from AT Still University and completed a residency in Oral Medicine at Harvard University. His research interests are focused primarily on oral pre-cancers and HPV prevention. His clinical interest includes treatment of oral mucosal diseases, pre-cancerous lesions, salivary gland disorders and oral complications from cancer therapy.