COSTA RICA: Human Papillomavirus Tied to Oral Cancer

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

COSTA RICA: Human Papillomavirus Tied to Oral Cancer

Reuters Health (12.10.03) - Friday, December 19, 2003
David Douglas

Human papillomavirus, a virus associated with cervical cancer, appears to be involved in cancer of the mouth and oropharynx (the part of the throat that includes the lower part of the tongue and the tonsils), according to a recent study. Lead author Dr. Rolando Herrero of the Costa Rican Foundation for Health Sciences-San Jose, said it is possible that "HPV vaccines currently under development could be effective at preventing HPV- related oral cancer."

The study included 1,415 patients with cancer of the mouth, 255 with cancer of the oropharynx, and 1,732 cancer-free control subjects. The researchers found HPV DNA in nearly 4 percent of cancers of the mouth and in 18 percent of cancers of the oropharynx. Such findings were more common in subjects who reported having more than one sexual partner or who practiced oral sex. HPV can be sexually transmitted.

DNA for HPV 16, the most common HPV in genital tumors, was found in roughly 94 percent of HPV DNA-positive patients. A significantly increased risk of mouth and oropharynx cancers was associated with the presence of antibodies against HPV 16 L1, E6 or E7. The findings suggest to the researchers that HPV seems to play a role in the development of cancers of the oropharynx and possibly a small subgroup of cancers of the mouth. The study, "Human Papillomavirus and Oral Cancer: The International Agency for Research on Cancer Multicenter Study," appeared in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2003;95(23):1772-1783).
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