HPV infection is the main Throat Cancer trigger
Human papilloma virus (HPV) is known as the main cause of cervical cancer or genital warts. However, it later emerges, the virus apparently can also trigger the development of cancer of the mouth and throat.
HPV infection is the main Throat Cancer trigger
Dr. Maura Gillison of Ohio State University and his colleagues studied tumor samples collected throat for 20 years and found that the number of people diagnosed with HPV-related oral cancer in 1988 increased three fold in 2004 (jumped to 72 percent of the initial 16 percent ).
In medical terms, it is called oropharyngeal throat cancer, which is located at the base of the tongue, back of the throat or tonsils.
“The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology stated that HPV-related oral cancers strike more men than women, although it is unclear why,” says Gillison.
He predicted at the HPV 2020 will be more commonly found in people with throat tumors than those with cervical cancer. And, probably will surpass smoking as risk factors main cause of throat cancer. The researchers suspect this is due to changes in sexual behavior that has helped spread the virus.
Dr Tina Dalianis, a professor at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, who did not participate in the study, said he believes the increase due to an epidemic of oral cancer is HPV.
“We believe that the sexual habits have changed and that there is an increase in sexual activity earlier in life, with lots of sexual promiscuity,” he explained.
The good news, according to Gillison, was the discovery of the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer are expected to be also used to prevent the development of oral cancer. “If a vaccine can prevent cancer caused by HPV, it may be able to work for oropharynx cancer as well,” he added.
He hopes this finding could make the drug and pharmaceutical manufacturers conduct large-scale trials on HPV vaccine (Gardasil and Cevariks) to see whether the use of the vaccine also protects against HPV infection of the throat.
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