An estimated 70 percent of throat cancers are attributed to the human papillomavirus, or HPV, the most common sexually transmitted disease. With more than 13,000 new diagnoses of throat cancer each year in the United States, the disease has surpassed cervical cancer as the most common cancer associated with HPV.
Roughly 80% of them are caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV, though this figure may be lower at other hospitals. “I can't even remember the last time I saw a throat cancer that wasn't HPV-positive,” says Lango. “Before the year 2000, we hardly saw any at all.
HPV is transmitted to the mouth and throat mostly by performing oral sex and appears to cause about 70 percent of oropharyngeal cancers. These cancers appear at the back of the throat, base of the tongue, or tonsils.
Most people may get a throat infection from the virus that goes away, but some people may go on to develop cancer in the throat or tonsils some 20 to 30 years later.
Just like with cervical cancer, HPV can lie dormant in the body for years before producing any symptoms of throat cancer. With HPV-related throat cancer, oral sex is the main perpetrator.
For example, in the oropharynx, most tumors are squamous cell carcinoma. Most are caused by HPV, although smoking and alcohol can play a role in causing some of these tumors. Cancer that occurs in this area, particularly when caused by HPV, grows slowly ─ usually over a number of months.
The average age range for throat cancer diagnoses is between 55 and 64 years old. Laryngeal cancer patients are typically over age 55, with an average age of 66. Men die from laryngeal cancer more often than women.
An HPV infection can infect the mouth and throat, and cause cancer of the oropharynx, which includes the back of the throat, base of the tongue and tonsils. About 54,000 adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with oral or oropharyngeal cancer each year.
What are the symptoms of HPV-positive throat cancer? Symptoms include hoarseness, pain or difficulty swallowing, pain while chewing, a lump in the neck, a feeling of apersistent lump in the throat, change in voice, or non-healing sores on the neck.
17.0% (p=. 005) (2). Recurrences tend to occur later in HPV-positive patients (3), but regardless of HPV-tumor status a majority of recurrences occur within 2 years of primary treatment (3–5). Patterns of recurrence with regard to local, regional and distant sites do not differ significantly by HPV status (3, 4, 6).
People with HPV-positive throat cancer can survive for 30 to 40 years. Treatment with cisplatin chemotherapy and radiotherapy is very effective, but it causes lifelong and sometimes debilitating side effects including dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, and loss of taste.
While many people who contract HPV do not show symptoms and usually clear the infection without any medical intervention, some more severe types of the virus can lead to cancer, including head and neck cancer or oropharynx (throat) cancer.
Overall, for all cases and types of laryngeal cancer, about 55% of patients survive for 10 years or more after diagnosis.
Although there is no specific blood test that detects laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer, several laboratory tests, including blood and urine tests, may be done to help determine the diagnosis and learn more about the disease.
How common is HPV? HPV is very common. It is estimated that up to 80% of people in Australia have HPV at some time in their lives.
Throat cancer affects more men than women, most likely due to the fact that more men use alcohol and/or tobacco. While people over the age of 55 are at highest risk for developing throat cancer, it's growing more common in younger people due to the increased prevalence of HPV.
Almost 30 out of 100 people (almost 30%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis. Some oropharyngeal cancers are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). These are HPV positive oropharyngeal cancers. The survival figures on this page are not based on the HPV status of oropharyngeal cancers.
The most common early warning sign of throat cancer is a persistent sore throat. The American Cancer Society recommends that anyone with a sore throat that lasts for more than two weeks see a doctor immediately.
As with many cancers, the risk of developing throat cancer increases with age, with most people being over the age of 55. Men are two to three times more likely than women to develop throat cancer in their lifetime.
In later stages, in which the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes — stage 3 — the overall five-year survival is around 50%. And if it spread to distant areas of the body like lungs, liver or bone — stage 4 — this survival rate drops to roughly 30%.”
Most people get rid of the infection on their own. Your partner has a low risk of getting cancer from HPV, even if they have a high-risk type of HPV. You don't need to change how you have sex if you have cancer caused by HPV.
1 Thickened white patches on the lining of the throat are usually the earliest signs of cancer or a precancerous condition in the throat. The most common type of throat cancer is called squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
You can get HPV by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus. It is most commonly spread during vaginal or anal sex. It also spreads through close skin-to-skin touching during sex. A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms.