Sharp rise in HPV-related oral cancer cases

[cronus]

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Sha ... -_19220913

Sharp rise in HPV-related oral cancer cases

THE rate of oral cancer caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) have more than tripled in the United States in the past two decades, even as other types of oral cancer have been declining in the United States and worldwide.

Why are HPV-related oral cancers are on the rise and whether they are increasing in other countries, and what can be done about it are the focus of an international consultation being held this week at the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO).

The consultation brings together experts from the US National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), the American Dental Association (ADA), and others to examine what is known about the epidemiology and biology of HPV-related oral cancer, its risk factors, prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment. The consultation is expected to conclude with series of recommendations for new research and public health policies to address the problem in the Americas.

"Oral cancer associated with HPV is an important emerging health problem," said Dr Saskia Estupinan-Day, head of PAHO/WHO's Oral Health. "We need more research on the problem, but we also need to develop and implement public health policies to help stem the rise of this disease."

The incidence of HPV-associated oral cancers has risen 225 per cent in the United States during the past two decades, according to data published in the Journal of the American Dental Association. Rates of other oral cancers -- usually related to tobacco and alcohol use -- have been declining. Worldwide, there were an estimated 443,000 new cases of oral cancer of all types and 241,000 deaths in 2012, the most recent year for which global data are available.

Data are lacking on HPV-related oral cancer in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. There are also significant gaps in scientific knowledge about HPV infections, their persistence, and associated oral cancers in the general population and in HIV-infected individuals. Evidence is also lacking on the efficacy of HPV vaccines to prevent HPV-associated oral cancer, which could prove to be an important tool for prevention.

HPV is better known as the cause of cervical cancer in women but also causes other anogenital cancers, head and neck cancers, and genital warts in both men and women. The virus spreads through direct skin-to-skin contact, primarily through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Younger people, especially males with more sexual partners are at higher risk.

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[mistermack]

This is because the United States is a nation of cocksuckers.

[JimC]

I blame Oral Roberts...