There’s growing evidence linking the Human Papilloma Virus and mouth cancer.
A study recently demonstrated that there’s a connection between the two diseases. HPV can be passed on in various ways, including by sexual contact. The report comes from researchers at the University College London Eastman Dental Institute.
HPV is passed sexually but most people don’t realize the virus can result in a higher risk for cancer. HPV also can result in cervical cancer for women.
Before this study and other research analyzing HPV and its impact on cancer, the conventional wisdom suggested alcohol and smoking were two of the largest risk factors for mouth cancer. Since growing amounts of young people are being diagnosed with HPV, however, more studies are showing the link between HPV and mouth cancer.
That’s why in places such as the United Kingdom, they have month-long campaigns like Mouth Cancer Action Month. The sole purpose of this program is to save lives by informing people about the symptoms and causes of mouth cancer. People are encouraged to go through screenings for the disease, which will be free this month. If mouth cancer is diagnosed early enough, the rate of survival jumps up by roughly 90 percent.
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