The Connection between Sexually Transmitted HPV and Oral Cancer

The statistics regarding the link between sexually transmitted HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) and oral cancer are extremely worrying.

HPV is today’s fastest developing sexually transmitted disease, and as many as 50% of the women and men who are sexually active will catch the virus at least once in their lifetime.

The biggest problem is that the greatest majority of the HPV infected patients will not even know they carry the virus, because the disease does not always come with clear signs and symptoms.

The DNA of the HPV has been discovered by researchers and lab scientists in well over 25% of neck and head carcinomas. As this would not be enough, HPV is actually the main culprit for an increase with 225% in oral cancers in an interval of 15-16 years. In the HPV related oral cancers, the HPV-16 is the main responsible virus form, but this is also the one responsible for about 80% of all he cervical cancer types.

Therefore, we talk about a sexually transmitted oral cancer which makes ravages all throughout the world. The oropharyngeal cancer shows its first signs typically on areas of the mouth that are less visible, such as the posterior areas of the mouth and on the internal sides of the cheek.

Moreover, the lesions can be visible on the tonsils, the tonsillar pillars, right at the base of the tongue and the oropharynx (the part of the throat, which can be found at the back of the mouth). Dental hygienists perform such examinations in which they look for possible malignant lesions within the mouth.

Patients who struggle with white lesions on the tongue, the interior of the cheeks or the roof of the mouth, for more than two to three weeks, should immediately get proper oral cancer screenings. If the disease is caught in its early stage, proper treatment can be a life savior.

Some of the warning signs of sexually transmitted oral cancer may include the following:

• struggling with infections of the throat which do not respond well to the antibiotic treatment
• hoarseness which is getting worse over time
• painful sensations during chewing the food or when swallowing
• enlarged lymph nodes which are painful at tactile examination
• the apparition of white lesions on the surface of the tongue/cheeks
• sharp ear pain
• regular bleeding from the throat or the mouth

Until now, it has been clearly noted that the vaccines that protect against HPV induced cervical cancer or oral cancer were targeted for women under 25 years old. Recent research however proves that these types of vaccines are efficient for women up to 45 years old.