by Sucharu Chris Prakash, MD
Actor Michael Douglas, in a recent interview, ascribed his throat cancer (in 2010) to oral sex, and not to his lifestyle of heavy smoking and alcohol abuse. So, how much of it is true? Is oral sex linked to mouth and throat cancers? Is throat cancer caused by a virus? I will try to answer.
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Dr. Chris Prakash
What is HPV?
HPV (human papilloma virus) is a virus that is transmitted through sex. It is fairly common, and by the age of 25, 90% of sexually active people will have been exposed to some form of genital HPV. Most of those infected, will not have any symptoms. But some may develop genital warts. HPV is also found in the mouth, and it usually gets there as a result of oral sex. HPV can also be spread through anal sex.
Does HPV cause cancer?
Out of almost 100 strains of HPV, around 15 are linked to increased cancer risk (most commonly HPV16). HPV has been associated with oral cancers, cervical cancers, as well as anal and penile cancers. Having HPV is a long-term risk factor (over years and decades).
Is there an epidemic of Oral Cancer?
Research has found that HPV has fueled a 28 percent rise in oropharyngeal cancer cases since 1988, amounting for an additional 10,000 U.S. cases each year. HPV-related throat cancers are now more common in men than cervical cancer in women (caused by the same virus). These cancers are also more commonly found in younger populations, adults between ages 40 and 65, a group typically younger than those affected by smoking-related throat cancers. According to The National Cancer Institute, in 2010, there were 12,660 cases of Oropharyngeal cancer and 2,410 deaths. About half of those cases were male, and at least three-fourths were caused by HPV. In comparison, there were 2,850 diagnoses of cervical cancer and 49,900 diagnoses of breast cancer.
The HPV vaccine
Current guidelines as per CDC recommend vaccinating teenage girls against HPV, and this should help protect them from cervical cancer. It may also help future partners from HPV-related oral cancers. The one group the current vaccination program does not protect, of course, is homosexual men, and these people are at increased risk of a variety of cancers due to HPV.
What about Smoking?
Smoking remains a high risk factor, not only for oral cancers, but also for other cancers including lung and bladder, as well as cardiovascular disease!
How can we be protected from HPV?
- Future generations may be protected by the HPV vaccine as mentioned above.
- For others who may have already been exposed to HPV, it is important to be vigilant for any signs of oral cancer, such as pain that does not go away.
- Follow safe sex practices (wear condom).
Thank You Michael Douglas for helping raise awareness about this topic of increasing importance in community health!
This information is strictly an opinion of Dr. Prakash, and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Dr Chris Prakash is a contributing columnist, and author of eParisExtra’s “The Doctor is In” column. He is a medical oncologist at Texas Oncology Paris. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Oncology and Hematology. He lives in Paris, TX with his wife and two children, and can be reached at 9037850031, or Sucharu.prakash@usoncology.com