Scientists have known for decades about the link between the human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer. They've also known for years that an oral infection with the virus can also cause cancers of the head and neck. However, most people who get oral HPV don't get cancer.
HPV can infect the mouth and throat and cause cancers of the oropharynx (back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils). This is called oropharyngeal cancer. HPV is thought to cause 70% of oropharyngeal cancers in the United States.
An oral HPV infection has no symptoms and cannot be detected by a test. If you have symptoms that concern you, it does not mean you have cancer, but you should see your health care provider to get it checked.
To people who are worried about their risk, remember that oral sex is common, oral HPV infection is somewhat common, but cancer is rare. Most oral HPV infections will clear on their own.
But, studies have found that certain types of HPV can turn into oropharyngeal cancer, especially HPV-16. To put it in perspective, HPV-16 only occurs in about 1% of the population. Yet, about two-thirds of oropharyngeal cancers are linked to HPV. (Note: Most people who develop an oral HPV infection won't get cancer.)
While sexual intercourse is the primary means of transmission, genital-to-genital interactions, oral-to-genital interactions, or deep (French) kissing can also spread the virus.
A benign (not cancer), wart-like growth that occurs on the lips or in the mouth, including the tongue, gums, tonsils, and back of the throat. Oral papillomas often appear as pink or white bumps that may be different sizes. They are usually painless and do not cause symptoms.
An oral HPV infection has no symptoms and cannot be detected by a test. If you have symptoms that concern you, it does not mean you have cancer, but you should see your health care provider to get it checked. You may undergo a physical exam. Your provider may examine your mouth area.
You may also experience difficulty swallowing, or a 'sticky' feeling as you swallow, have swollen but painless tonsils, be able to feel a lump in the neck area, experience a chronic sore throat or difficulty chewing/ a chronic cough, get intermittent numbness or tingling in the tongue or throat, drool excessively or ...
Because HPV is passed through sexual contact, sharing sex toys and skin-to-skin contact, so it can be passed through oral sex. The strains of HPV found in the mouth are almost exclusively transmitted through sexual contact, so oral sex is likely to be the cause.
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.
Research has found that it can take 10 to 20 years, or even longer, for HPV-infected cervical cells to develop into a cancerous tumor. Among women whose cervical cells are infected with high-risk HPV, several factors increase the chance that the infection will be long lasting and lead to precancerous cervical cells.
In fact, one type—type 16—is thought to cause more than 90 percent of all HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancers. The NHANES data showed that oral HPV 16 prevalence was very low on average in all groups, ranging from 0.1 percent in women ages 60 to 69 to 2.4 percent in men ages 60 to 69.
The Cure Rate Is Very High
“If a patient's tumor is HPV-positive, the longterm cure rate for most stages is 80 to 90 percent,” reports Dr. Hu, professor in the Departments of Radiation Oncology and Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.
Michael Douglas
Douglas said the cause was human papillomavirus (HPV) he caught from giving oral sex. HPV, a very common sexually transmitted virus, is the No. 1 cause of throat cancers and can lead to tongue cancers. After radiation and chemotherapy, Douglas is now healthy.
The number of HPV positive cancers of the tonsil and base of tongue (oropharyngeal cancer) is rising quickly. Several studies evaluating the prevalence of active oral HPV infection have found that three to five percent of adolescents and five to 10 percent of adults have an active HPV infection.
What does oral HPV look like? In most cases, oral HPV does not exhibit symptoms; however, depending on the strain of the infection, some people may experience growths within the oral cavity that are: Pink, red, flesh-colored, or white. Small and dense to the touch.
There is no FDA-approved test to diagnose HPV in the mouth or throat. Medical and dental organizations do not recommend screening for oral HPV. More research is needed to find out if screening for oropharyngeal cancers will have health benefits.
HPV is spread through oral sex. If your partner is infected with genital HPV and you perform oral sex, you risk getting HPV. Having oral sex with many partners increases your risk for oral HPV. How Can I Prevent Oral HPV?
The type of HPV called HPV 16 causes most oral cancers related to HPV. Oral cancers tend to cause obvious symptoms, especially as they progress. Signs and symptoms of oral cancer include: a sore or painful bump that does not go away within 3 weeks.
HPV cannot be treated. Doctors can remove visible genital lesions and warts caused by HPV, but there is no cure for the virus. Unlike other sexually transmitted infections, HPV is caused by a virus and viruses cannot be cured with antibiotics.
Low-risk HPV strains, such as HPV 6 and 11, cause about 90% of genital warts, which rarely develop into cancer. These growths can look like bumps. Sometimes, they're shaped like cauliflower. The warts can show up weeks or months after you've had sex with an infected partner.
Since this foot condition can be spread through contact due to HPV, there is a possibility that warts can be spread through an infected person's contact with bed sheets.
Should a person stop dating if they have HPV? A person can continue to date if they have HPV. If people know they have HPV, they may want to date a person for a while before engaging in sexual activity. This can give people the chance to get to know one another better before discussing HPV.