Research Reveals Oral Sex May Be Leading Cause of Mouth, Throat Cancers

[BridgeTheGap]

Mouth and throat cancer, called oropharynx cancer, used to be a disease seen most commonly in elderly persons. Tobacco smoking and alcohol use were known to be the leading causes of oropharyngeal cancer. Today, oral sex is listed as the leading cause of cancer of the mouth and throat.

New research, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, demonstrates that human papillomavirus, HPV, is the leading cause of cancer of the oropharnyx in the U.S. The number of people diagnosed with HPV-related oral cancers in the U.S. tripled from 1998 to 2004.

Currently, as NPR reports, almost 10,000 new cases of oral and throat cancer are diagnosed each year, with a 28 percent increase in incidence since 1988. Interestingly, the majority of those who are being diagnosed with the HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers are men. This leads researchers to wonder if the vaccine against HPV that is recommended for teenage girls may be affording that gender with protection against oropharyngeal cancer, as well as the currently known protection against cervical cancer.

Researchers have noted a marked drop in non-HPV-related mouth and throat cancers since the American population has begun to turn away from tobacco smoking.

http://news.yahoo.com/research-reveals-oral-sex-may-leading-cause-mouth-195800608.html

[FSogol]

1. That sucks.

:shrug:

[laconicsax]

2. If only there were an HPV vaccine. n/t

[HuckleB]

3. +1

[Jester Messiah]

4. This research must be discredited and repressed! :-D [nt]

[yoyossarian]

5. Ok, where do ya go for the vaccine?

Inquiring minds NEED to know!

[Lost-in-FL]

6. Hummmm… well, we all die one day right? nt

[plcdude]

7. I sure hope

we can lick this one.