HWN Suggests

How Our Sex Habits May Affect Our HPV and Cancer Risk

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a leading cause of throat cancer, and it is sexually transmitted. But how the timing, number and types of sexual behaviors affect the risk, and why some people develop cancer and others don’t, are still open questions. Researchers are beginning to suggest some possible answers. HPV causes about 70 percent of oropharyngeal cancers — tumors of the back of the throat, the base of the tongue and the tonsils. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are about 3,500 new cases of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers diagnosed in women and 16,200 in men every year in the United States. These cancers are more common among white people than…

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Articles of Interest

Everything Val Kilmer said about his throat cancer battle before his death at 65: ‘It’s an obstacle’

Val Kilmer was more than just a Hollywood legend — he was also a cancer survivor. The “Batman Forever” star battled throat cancer years before he died at 65 from pneumonia on Tuesday. Kilmer received his initial diagnosis in 2014 but was cancer-free by 2021. However, Kilmer’s treatment, which included chemotherapy, radiation and two tracheotomies, permanently affected his health.

HPV Fueling a Rise in Throat Cancer

Throat cancer has long been linked to smoking and heavy alcohol use, but a new leading cause is changing the conversation—human papillomavirus (HPV). It’s estimated that HPV causes approximately 70% of all throat cancers in the U.S. and those rates are expected to increase in the future.

It’s True. You Can Get Throat Cancer From Oral Sex

“It is a known phenomenon,” says Gillison. “In the U.S., there is an active shift going on. Fortunately thanks to tobacco policy and public-health awareness, the incidence rate for the classical head and neck cancer caused by smoking is declining. But unfortunately, the rate of oropharynx cancer is still going up and it’s because of the HPV component.”

Oral sex is now the leading risk factor for throat cancer

Over the past two decades, there has been a rapid increase in throat cancer in the west, to the extent that some have called it an epidemic. This has been due to a large rise in a specific type of throat cancer called oropharyngeal cancer (the area of the tonsils and back of the throat). The main cause of this cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV), which are also the main cause of cancer of the cervix. Oropharyngeal cancer has now become more common than cervical cancer in the US and the UK.

Throat cancer survivor: The good, the bad and the ugly of treatment

After seven chemotherapy cycles and 35 days of radiation, I sat in my bedroom thinking about what words best described my seven-week treatment journey for throat cancer. I decided the movie title “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” summed it up best. Here’s why.

Transoral Robotic Surgery for Pharyngeal and Laryngeal Cancers—A Prospective Medium-Term Study

TORS is an effective organ-preserving, minimally invasive surgery for cancer of the pharynx and larynx. In more than half of our patients, irradiation could be avoided, or the dosage could be reduced to about 6000 cGY during the treatment of cancer.

Triumphing Over HPV Throat Cancer: Enhancing Recovery for Survivors

Human papillomavirus (HPV) throat cancer, also known as oropharyngeal cancer, became a prevalent health concern in recent years. After treatment, survivors of HPV throat cancer face the task of rebuilding their lives.

Uh, Can Listerine Give You Cancer?

A new study seems to suggest yes—but the connection isn’t really there.

Why It Matters If HPV Caused Your Head or Neck Cancer

And while the knowledge of HPV-related cancers in men is gradually becoming better-known—partly because of its increasing prevalence—doctors are still learning new things about the characteristics of the cancer itself.

Resources

HPVandMe

Our Mission is to provide education about HPV infection, the HPV vaccine, and HPV-related cancers, specifically HPV-related oropharyngeal or head and neck cancers—now the #1 HPV cancer, surpassing cervical cancer.

Throat Cancer Foundation

We raise awareness of cancers that affect the head, chest, mouth and neck, and throat.

Harvard Health

Throat cancer is associated with other cancers. Fifteen percent of throat cancer patients also are diagnosed at the same time with cancer of the mouth, esophagus, or lung. Another 10% to 20% of people with throat cancer develop these other cancers later on.