According to a new study published in Cancer Prevention Research, one type of oral human papillomavirus infection (HPV16) appears to last one year or longer in men older than 45.
Oral infection with HPV16 is most frequently associated with HPV-driven head and neck (oropharyngeal) cancers.
HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers in men has significantly increased over the last 20 years. In fact, annual cases of HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers have surpassed cervical cancer cases.
“We don’t know how long oral HPV infection must persist to increase risk for head and neck cancer, but we assume it would be similar to cervical infection, where it is generally believed that infections persisting beyond two years greatly increase the risk of developing cervical cancer,” Christine M. Pierce Campbell, PhD, MPH, from the Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Center for Infection Research in Cancer at the Moffitt Cancer Center told the ASCO Post.
Whereas genital HPV infections usually clear up in two years or less, this study's findings suggest that oral infections may be more persistent.
The research team evaluated 1,626 men who were part of the HPV Infection in Men study. At enrollment, they collected oral gargle samples from the participants and then every six months for four years checking for the presence of oral HPV16 infection.
Over the duration of the study, HPV16 was discovered in two or more samples from 23 men. For 10 men, it was present in the enrollment sample.
In the group that had HPV16 at the study’s start, nine had infections that lasted a year or more. Researchers also found that eight of these infections lasted two years or more. Two lasted four years or longer.
The proportion of incident infections (those detected during the course of the study) persisting for one year or longer increased with age.
All incident infections among men older than 45 persisted for one year or longer. Fifty percent of those infections among men ages 31-44 persisted for one year or longer. And none of the incident infections detected among men ages 18-31 persisted for a year.
The researchers wrote that these findings may explain the high prevalence of HPV16 persistence observed at older ages. And that understanding oral HPV16 persistence will help to identify men at high risk of developing HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer.
“Unfortunately, there are currently no methods to detect precancerous lesions of the head and neck,” Pierce Campbell told the ASCO Post. “So, before our data can be translated for patient benefit, we need more studies of HPV-related head and neck cancers to develop screening methods that may be useful in a clinical setting.”
Sources:
Azvolinsky, PhD, Anna. "Older Men at Higher Risk of Persistent Oral HPV Infection." Older Men at Higher Risk of Persistent Oral HPV Infection. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
http://www.cancernetwork.com/head-neck-cancer/older-men-higher-risk-persistent-oral-hpv-infection
Mozes, Alan. "Oral HPV Infection Lasts Longer in Older Men, Study Finds." Consumer HealthDay. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
http://consumer.healthday.com/cancer-information-5/laryngeal-cancer-news-98/oral-hpv-lasts-longer-in-older-men-study-finds-695258.html
"Oral HPV16 Infection Persisted Longer in Older Men." Oral HPV16 Infection Persisted Longer in Older Men. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
http://www.healio.com/hematology-oncology/head-neck-cancer/news/online/{9c53abd9-040d-415b-8311-ec7db36f4d35}/oral-hpv16-infection-persisted-longer-in-older-men
"Oral Human Papillomavirus Infection More Likely to Persist in Older Men." The ASCO Post. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
http://www.ascopost.com/ViewNews.aspx?nid=21633
Reviewed January 29, 2015
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith