Single men, smokers at higher risk for oral cancer

Smokers and single men are more likely to acquire cancer-causing oral human papillomavirus (HPV), according to a new study.
Researchers from Moffitt Cancer Center, the National Cancer Institute, Mexico and Brazil report that newly acquired oral HPV infections in healthy men are rare and when present, usually resolve within one year.
HPV infection is known to cause virtually all cervical cancers, most anal cancers and some genital cancers. It has recently been established as a cause of the majority of oropharyngeal cancers, a malignancy of the tonsils and base of tongue.
HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer is rare, but rates have been increasing rapidly, especially among men. To determine the pattern of HPV acquisition and persistence in the oral region, researchers evaluated the HPV infection status in oral mouthwash samples collected as part of the HPV Infection in Men (HIM) Study.

"Some types of HPV, such as HPV16, are known to cause cancer at multiple places in the body, including the oral cavity," said study lead author Christine M Pierce Campbell.
"We know that HPV infection is associated with oropharyngeal cancer, but we don't know how the virus progresses from initial infection to cancer in the oral cavity," said Campbell.

During the first 12 months, nearly 4.5 per cent of men in the study acquired an oral HPV infection. Less than 1 per cent of men in the study had an HPV16 infection, the most commonly acquired type, and less than 2 per cent had a cancer-causing type of oral HPV.

Their findings are consistent with previous studies showing a low prevalence of oral HPV cancers. However, this study shows the acquisition of cancer-causing oral HPV appeared greater among smokers and unmarried men.
The study results appeared in The Lancet journal.