HPV and Head and Neck Cancer: What You Need to Know

The biggest risk factor for most head and neck cancers are tobacco and alcohol use. In fact, alcohol and tobacco cause about 75 percent of head and neck cancers, according to the NCI. But the other significant risk factor is infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), themost common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the U.S.

HPV is a group of more than 100 types of related viruses, about 40 of which are spread through skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, oral, or anal sex. About90％男性和80％的性活跃的女性将在生活中的某些时候感染HPV。大多数HPV感染，甚至具有高风险类型的HPV的感染，go away on their own在一两年内，永远不会造成症状或问题。

Approximately a dozen types of HPV are associated with cancer. In fact, 70 percent of cervical cancers and 95 percent of anal cancers are caused by HPV infection, according to the NCI. Most HPV-related cancers are linked to types HPV 16 and 18. HPV also causes some vulvar, penile, rectal, vaginal, and head and neck cancers, specificallyoropharyngeal (throat) cancer。然而，在可能发展癌症之前感染HPV需要数年。

The oropharynx, or middle throat, includes the back of your mouth (soft palette), base of the tongue, and tonsils. According to the疾病控制中心and Prevention (CDC), of the roughly 16,500 cases of oropharyngeal cancer diagnosed each year, about 11,600 (70 percent) are probably caused by HPV, particularly HPV type 16. Interestingly, despite the high association with oropharyngeal cancer, HPV infection isn’t associated with other types of head and neck cancers.

根据这一点NCI， 最普遍的symptomsof oropharyngeal cancer are a persistent sore throat, earaches, hoarseness, swollen lymph nodes, pain when swallowing, or unexpected weight loss. Some people with throat cancer don’t experience any symptoms.

As fewer people smoke and abuse alcohol, the overall rate of head and neck cancers is declining. That’s the good news. The bad news is thatHPV-related oropharyngeal cancers are on the rise in the U.S.Most of these cancersoccur in men。HPV can be transmitted to the mouth and throat viaoral sex。

虽然HPV是宫颈癌，肛门和口咽癌症的显着风险因素，但根据CDC根据CDC每年只与HPV有关的癌症病例的约31,500人，尽管近8000万人被HPV感染了。

Until recently, scientists believed there were two types of HPV 16-related head and neck cancers. These classifications are based on how the DNA of the virus replicates. Now,researchers have learned there is a third type, a hybrid of the other two, and that 75 percent of HPV-related head and neck cancers are this type. This matters because patients with the hybrid version respond better to therapy.

结果表明，HPV相关的头部和颈部癌症的患者实际上存在better survival rates比其他患者头部和颈部癌症。This may be because these tumors are particularly sensitive to radiation therapy.

食品和药物管理局已经批准了Gardasil 9，用于预防最有可能导致宫颈癌的9种类型的HPV感染。Gardasil 9现在是美国的唯一可用的HPV疫苗接种疫苗，根据CDC，HPV疫苗保护与HPV 16有关，这与口咽癌有关。但是，虽然HPV疫苗接种可能有益于预防口咽癌症, to date there aren’t rigorous studies to confirm this.

To reduce your risk of throat cancer, don’t smoke, and drink alcohol in moderation. Limit the number of sexual partners you have to reduce your risk of receiving an HPV infection (or transmitting it), and接受HPV接种疫苗。Additionally, using condoms and dental dams (barriers used during oral sex) can also lower your risk of getting an HPV infection.