HPV 16 ups neck and head cancer risk according to a new research featuring in the JAMA Oncology. Previous studies have already linked HPV to cervical cancer and throat cancer.
The Monitor Daily (U.S.) – HPV 16 ups neck and head cancer risk according to a new research featuring in the JAMA Oncology. Previous studies have already linked HPV to cervical cancer and throat cancer. The newly published research adds weight to the argument that HPV may precede the a wider variety of cancers.
The research was conducted by a scientific team with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The lead authors of the study are M.D., Sc.D Ilir Agalliu and M.D. Robert D. Murk. The human papillomavirus (HPV) – 16 is found in the oral cavity. Sampling the HPV 16 is fairly simple. The researchers looked at data stemming from the analysis of nearly 97,000 mouthwash samples. The samples have been voluntarily donated to the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort as well as the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial.
Participants in these studies were followed for 3.9 years on average.
The research concluded that HP 16 ups neck and head cancer risk. The presence of the human papillomavirus 16 in the oral cavity was found to precede oropharyngeal cancers. The participants followed throughout the study weren’t diagnosed with any cancer type at the beginning. During the study, 132 cases of neck and head cancer were detected. The research team also focused on a control group including 396 healthy participants.
The analysis of the mouthwash samples suggested that the presence of HPV 16 in the oral cavity was a strong indicator of further development of oropharyngeal cancers. For the participants who were found to have HPV 16, the risk of developing neck and head cancer increased 22 times.
Another interesting finding of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine team was the under-researched link between beta HPVs and gamma HPVs and cancer incidence. The two types of HPVs are typically found on the skin.
In the U.S. there are two FDA approved vaccines to counter the development of the human papilloma virus. Cervarix and Gardasil are recommended for the prevention of infection with the HPV 16 and HPV 18. The Gardasil vaccine is also effective against infection with HPV 6 and HPV 11, two strains causing warts.
At the age of 11 to 12, teenagers should be vaccinated against HPV strains. Being infected with any of the human papillomavirus strains isn’t pleasant. Moreover, with more links between HPV and increased cancer risk being discovered, vaccination is strongly recommended.
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