Smoking, drinking alcohol and chewing betel nuts all increase the risk of developing mouth and throat cancers. The HPV virus also been found to increase the number of cases of oral cancer and is thought to be spread through oral sex and kissing.
The same virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer is now worryingly associated with cancer of the mouth and throat. The study was published in the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.HPV has been reported with many cases of oral cancer which itself is on the increase. It is thought that the increase in cases of oral cancers is due to the societal change surrounding sexual behaviours for example, an increase in the practice of oral sex, having multiple sexual partners, and starting to have sexual intercourse from a young age, are all related to these HPV associated oral cancers. The study authors suspect that we are coming into a ‘slow epidemic’ of primarily HPV related oral cancers that have been sexually transmitted. Oropharyngeal cancers that are caused by HPV are the second most common cancers that are linked to the HPV virus.
If the HPV vaccine received by the female population as a means of reducing the incidence of cervical cancer also decreases the number of mouth and throat cancers, the groups receiving the vaccination might also be extend to males.