Oral HPV Increases Risk To Head, Neck, Throat Cancer

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A new study suggested that oral sex increases one's risk to developing throat, head and neck cancer.

Researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine found out that, when human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 is detected in one's mouth, he is 22 times more likely to develop a type of head and neck cancer compared to those without HPV-16, Einstein reported.

HPV-16 is popular in causing head and neck cancers, which include oropharyngeal cancers -- cancers of the middle part of the throat including the soft palate, the base of the tongue and tonsillitis.

UPI  reported that the study, published online in JAMA Oncology, involved 96,650 cancer-free people who contributed mouthwash samples in American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort and Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. They were followed up for an average of almost four years.

The study identified 132 individuals who developed head or neck cancer during the period. The researchers compared them to a group of 396 healthy subjects; three controls for each case with cancer and study their mouthwash samples for several types of oral HPVs.

The researchers learned that individuals with HPV-16 are 22 times more likely to develop oropharyngeal cancer than their counterparts who are HPV-16 free. They also learned that beta-HPV and gamma-HPV that are normally found on the skin could be linked to the development of cancer.

The star of "Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction," Michael Douglas, was diagnosed with throat cancer six years ago. He has stage 4 throat cancer when he learned about his condition.

Three years ago, in an interview with The Guardian, the actor was asked if he regretted smoking and drinking which were thought to have caused his illness and his response was a big revelation.

"No. Because without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus," Douglas said.

"But yeah, it's a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer," he stressed.

Previous studies reported that HPV causes cervical cancer in women and throat cancer in men. It also causes genital warts and is thought to be responsible for the growing proportion of oral cancers.

Mahesh Kumar, a consultant head and neck surgeon in London, confirmed that there is a dramatic increase of oral cancer among youngsters. Previous studies revealed that among 1,316 patients with oral cancers, 57 percent of them were HPV-16 positive.

"It has been established beyond reasonable doubt that the HPV type 16 is the causative agent in oropharyngeal cancer," Kumar said.

For this reason, teens are encouraged to get HPV vaccine before being exposed to the said virus.