April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month
Oral Cancer awareness in the American public is low. Approximately 58,500 people in the U.S. will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer this year. In the United States, 132 people are newly diagnosed with oral cancer, and one person every hour of every day will die from it.
Symptoms of oropharyngeal cancer may include a long-lasting sore throat, earaches, hoarseness, swollen lymph nodes, pain when swallowing, and unexplained weight loss. Some people have no symptoms. If you have any symptoms that worry you, be sure to see your doctor right away.
Alcohol and tobacco products may contribute to oropharyngeal cancers. Don’t smoke or use smokeless tobacco products, and avoid smoke from other people’s cigarettes. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
The HPV virus is another cause of oral cancer. Many people are exposed to oral HPV in their life. About 10% of men and 3.6% of women have oral HPV, and oral HPV infection is more common with older age. Most people clear HPV within one to two years, but HPV infection persists in some people.
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.
The HPV vaccine was developed to prevent cervical and other cancers of the reproductive system. The vaccine protects against the types of HPV that can cause oropharyngeal cancers, so it may also prevent oropharyngeal cancers.
The CDC recommends HPV vaccination for 11- to 12-year-olds. CDC also recommends HPV vaccination for everyone through age 26 years, if not vaccinated already. If you have questions or wonder if you should receive the vaccine, talk to your primary care provider.
article plublished by the CDC 09/2023
HPV infection is a viral infection that commonly causes skin or mucous membrane growths (warts). There are more than 100 varieties of human papillomavirus (HPV). Some types of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection cause warts, and some can cause different types of cancer. Most HPV infections don’t lead to cancer.