Dr. Ed's Script Pad
HPV - The Elephant in the RoomApril is the official oral cancer awareness month so let's speak openly and honestly. I need to talk about something uncomfortable. Let's talk about awareness of HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), a sexually transmitted disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about 20 million Americans are currently infected and 6 million more will be infected this year alone.
More than 40 types of HPV are spread during genital, oral and anal sex with an infected partner. In most cases, the body's own immune system gets rid of HPV. But if the body cannot clear the infection, several cancers may develop like anal, cervical and oral cancers.
In fact, oral cancers related to HPV increased by 225% between 1988 and 2004, with men accounting for the majority of cases. A recent report from the Journal of the AMA showed that HPV "peaks" between age 30 - 35 and again at age 60 - 64.
Fortunately, oral cancer patients who test positive for HPV are typically younger and fitter, less likely to smoke or drink, and are found to do better than patients whose head and neck cancers are linked to alcohol and tobacco.
Dr. Maura Gellison, the lead author of the JAMA study said "the next step in clinical trials will be to determine the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine in preventing HPV positive oral squamous cell carcinoma. We understand the Achilles heel of the cancer. If you don't get HPV infection, you don't get the cancer."
Men and women need to bring this up with their doctor. Your life may depend on it.
