SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) -- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is widely recognized as a cause of cervical cancer in women, but a concerning trend has emerged: HPV is now increasingly linked to cancers of the throat.
HPV is a common virus that many adults carry, often without knowing. It can cause warts and papillomas, especially in the throat.
Certain variants of HPV, especially those responsible for cervical cancer, are also the culprits behind the rise of throat cancer, particularly in men, according to Dr. Ilya Likhterov, head and neck surgeon at UCSF Health's John Muir Health Cancer Center in Berkeley.
"It is transmitted through oral sex, but it can also be transmitted through sharing of saliva, and usually, or most commonly, it is transmitted in younger patients of sexual active age, and then stays dormant -- often for decades sometimes," Dr. Likhterov told KCBS Radio's Bret Burkhart on this week's episode of "As Prescribed."
The first sign of HPV-related throat cancer is often a lump in the neck that doesn't go away. Other symptoms include persistent throat pain, especially on one side, which doesn't resolve after a couple of weeks.
"It is more common in men, and oftentimes, patients will find some abnormality on their neck while shaving, and this is how they'll present it to me," Dr. Likhterov said.
HPV-related throat cancer is becoming more prevalent in people who have no history of smoking or drinking. Traditionally, head and neck cancers were linked to these lifestyle factors, but now, HPV is the main culprit, especially for people in their 40s to 60s.
"We do know that the risk factors are onset of sexual activity with patients who become sexually active younger being at higher risk. There is an increased risk with a number of oral sexual partners. There's some data on that, but what I tell patients that are coming in is that this is not a disease you caught in the last year," said Dr. Likhterov. "This is a virus that's been in a dormant state likely for decades, and so it's very hard to trace back to any one specific encounter."
The development of throat cancer from HPV differs from traditional head and neck cancers in several ways. HPV-related cancers also offer a more optimistic prognosis than cancers linked to smoking and drinking.
"Interestingly, the patients that get throat cancer from HPV do much better," Dr. Likhterov explained. "Their cancers are much more responsive to therapy than the more traditional types of head and neck cancer, the smoker-drinker-related cancers."
One of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of HPV-related throat cancer is through vaccination. The HPV vaccine, which was initially recommended for young girls to prevent cervical cancer, has now been extended to boys as well.
"The incidence of HPV throat cancer has now outpaced cervical cancer. This is now a more common cancer caused by this virus, and so the recommendation for vaccination has been extended to boys, and the age has also been extended, I believe now to age of 45. And so certainly, I would recommend kids and even young adults to get the vaccine," said Dr. Likhterov.
Listen to this week's "As Prescribed" to learn more. You can also listen to last week's episode to learn how the Cal-MAP mental health portal supports kids, here.
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“As Prescribed” is sponsored by UCSF.