The InterSCOPE consortium is an international group examining the association between human papillomavirus (HPV) seropositivity and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Researchers from the NCI have joined with colleagues from Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Iran, and South Africa to jointly examine whether HPV exposure increases the risk of ESCC. Investigators looked for 34 serologic markers in 1,500 ESCC cases and 2,500 controls from multiple high- and low-risk populations from around the world. Using advanced multiplex serologic methods to detect a total of 28 HPV types, only six cases showed convincing evidence for a causal association with HPV, providing further evidence that HPV is not an important risk factor in ESCC.