The rates of oropharyngeal (throat) cancer have been increasing in recent years. The question is why? Well, Professor Hisham Mehanna from the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences blames oral sex – male to female.
If you recall, not that long ago Oscar winning actor Michael Douglas was diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer and at the time he blamed this on oral sex. But most people thought that was an example of TMI – too much information. However, it his words should have been taken more seriously, it appears.
Will you offer us a hand? Every gift, regardless of size, fuels our future.
Your critical contribution enables us to maintain our independence from shareholders or wealthy owners, allowing us to keep up reporting without bias. It means we can continue to make Jewish Business News available to everyone.
You can support us for as little as $1 via PayPal at [email protected].
Thank you.
Hisham Mehanna wrote in Science Alert, “For oropharyngeal cancer, the main risk factor is the number of lifetime sexual partners, especially oral sex. Those with six or more lifetime oral-sex partners are 8.5 times more likely to develop oropharyngeal cancer than those who do not practice oral sex.”
Oropharyngeal cancer is a type of head and neck cancer that affects the oropharynx, which is the middle part of the throat behind the mouth. This area includes the tonsils, soft palate, and the back of the tongue. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common cause of oropharyngeal cancer is HPV, a sexually transmitted infection. Smoking and chewing tobacco significantly increase the risk as does excessive alcohol consumption. Certain genetic factors may also make individuals more susceptible.
The American Cancer Society says that since the mid-2000s, incidence rates have increased by about 1% per year, mostly because of a rise in cancers linked with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. These HPV-positive cancers tend to act differently than HPV-negative cancers. The death rate for cancers of the mouth and throat increased by 0.6% per year from 2009 through 2021, after decades of decline. This is mainly because of an increase in oropharyngeal cancer mortality of almost 2% per year during that time, explains the Society.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common sexually transmitted infection (STI). Most people will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives, often without even knowing it. While most HPV infections are harmless, some types of HPV can cause serious health problems.
“Cure rates are high for HPV-driven oropharynx cancer, particularly when the tumors are small and occur in non-smokers,” says Barbara Burtness, MD, a Yale Medicine medical oncologist. “In fact, treatments developed in an era of predominantly tobacco-initiated cancers may be more intensive than is necessary for patients with HPV-driven cancers.”
So, what should people do?
Dr. Mehanna says that the best thing is for men to also get the HPV vaccine. Women will certainly agree as the only alternative would be no more oral sex.
