I must admit that the research discovery described here now seems totally predictable -- it turns out that HPV is a major cause of oral cancer in men (see: HPV causing more oral cancer in men). In my mind, this predictability became obvious once HPV was shown to be the major cause of cervical cancer since the oral mucosa is also susceptible to infection by the virus and is similar to the stratified squamous epithelium of the cervix. Below is an excerpt from the article (boldface emphasis mine):
The HPV virus now causes as many cancers of the upper throat as tobacco and alcohol, probably due both to an increase in oral sex and the decline in smoking....The only available vaccine against HPV, made by Merck & Co. Inc., is currently given only to girls and young women. But Merck plans this year to ask government permission to offer the shot to boys. Experts say a primary reason for male vaccinations would be to prevent men from spreading the virus and help reduce the nearly 12,000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in U.S. women each year. But the new study should add to the argument that there may be a direct benefit for men, too....Previous research by Gillison and others established HPV as a primary cause of the estimated 5,600 cancers that occur each year in the tonsils, lower tongue and upper throat. It's also been known that the virus' role in such cancers has been rising. The new study looked at more than 30 years of National Cancer Institute data on oral cancers. Researchers categorized about 46,000 cases...[and] concluded the incidence rates for HPV-related oral cancers rose steadily in men from 1973 to 2004, becoming about as common as those from tobacco and alcohol. The good news is that survival rates for the cancer are also increasing. That's because tumors caused by HPV respond better to chemotherapy and radiation, Gillison said.
Here's an additional quote about the topic of oral sex and its association with HPV infection that was published in Time Magazine (see: Oral Sex Can Add to HPV Cancer Risk):
Of the 300 study participants [in a recently published study], those infected with HPV were also 32 times more likely to develop [cancer of the tonsils or at the base of the tongue] than those who did not have the virus. These findings dwarf the increased risk of developing this so-called oropharyngeal cancer associated with the two major risk factors: smoking (3 times greater) or drinking (2.5 times greater). HPV infection drives cancerous growth, as it is widely understood to do in the cervix. But unlike cervical cancer, this type of oral cancer is more prevalent in men.
Am I the only one who is disturbed by the fact that the number of entertaining but safe diversions is shrinking faster than the global icecaps?
Holy cr*p Batman! How come this was posted in 2008 and this is the first I've heard of it. Of course it just makes sense, but I never thought to connect the two...
Searching...
Here's a story I just found about the CDC recomending Merck's vaccine for HPV for boys and young men. http://www.merck.com/newsroom/news-release-archive/vaccine-news/2011_1025.html
At least they're doing something...
Sally M.
Posted by: Cervical Cancer Survivor | December 26, 2011 at 05:28 PM