Yes, it’s true. About 60 percent of oropharyngeal cancers are related to human papillomavirus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases.
These are cancers of the throat, tonsils and the base of tongue as reported by Time.com. In the United States, every year, it is estimated that more than 2,370 new cases of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers are diagnosed in women and about 9,356 are diagnosed in men.
WomensHealthMag.com cited the American Cancer Society as saying that roughly one-quarter of all oral cancers are now HPV-related.
HPV infections can be sneaky. Columbia University’s Go Ask Alice column wrote that HPV infections can be symptom-free for years. As a result, HPV can be passed from the infected person to their partner without them even knowing they have the virus.
Dr. Maura Gillison, a professor at the Ohio State University who studies HPV infections of the head, neck and throat, said there are about 15 different HPV types that are established causes of cancer.
The two most common are HPV-16 and 18. These two account for around 70 percent of cervical cancers.
“For oral infection, we find the same types of HPV in the oral cavity as we do in the cervix or genital region for men, but the infection is considerably less common,” Gillison told Time.com.
It is uncertain as to how long HPV-16 lingers in the mouth before turning into oral cancer. But what is certain is that more than 14 percent of cases aren't caught until very late stages, according to WomensHealthMag.com.
There is some good news. Survival rates are high. Among those with head and neck cancers, those who also have HPV have a higher survival rate.
Research results showed that HPV-16 was present in the tumors of 72 percent of oropharyngeal cancer patients enrolled in the study. Therefore people with HPV antibodies in their blood were 58 times more likely to have these oral cancers.
Pap smears are the best way for women to assess their HPV status. Pap smears check the cervix for irregular cells that may have resulted from HPV. Unfortunately, there is not yet an approved HPV test for men.
The bad news is that presently there is no system to routinely test for oral HPV. Researchers are working on developing clinical tests for the virus.
Studies across the board say most sexually active people will likely have an HPV infection at some point, but many never know.
On the positive side, most people infected with HPV never develop health problems from it. In fact, in 90 percent of cases, the body’s immune system naturally clears itself of HPV after two years.
Sources:
Giacobbe, Alyssa. "Health Risks of Oral Sex." Womenshealthmag.com. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/hpv-facts?fullpage=1
"Oral Sex and Throat Cancer?" Oral Sex and Throat Cancer? The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/oral-sex-and-throat-cancer
Sifferlin, Alexandra. "It’s True. You Can Get Throat Cancer From Oral Sex | TIME.com." Time. Time. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
http://healthland.time.com/2013/06/03/its-true-you-can-get-throat-cancer-from-oral-sex
Reviewed February 26, 2015
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith