HPV and Head and Neck Cancer

Sexually Transmitted HPV Linked to Certain Head & Neck Cancers; RPCI Researchers Say Boys Need to Be Vaccinated, Too!

Researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) are strongly advocating a national discussion about the need to vaccinate both young men and women against HPV 16 to prevent head & neck cancers.

The call comes amid growing evidence that certain cancers of the head and neck are strongly linked to HPV 16, a specific strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. It is estimated that approximately 70% of Americans, both men and women, will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives.

The types of cancer associated with HPV 16 occur mostly at the back (base) of the tongue, in the tonsils, and in the soft palate at the back of the throat, according to Thom Loree, MD, Chair of RPCI’s Department of Head & Neck Surgery.

Over the past 10 years, members of RPCI’s Head & Neck Department have seen a threefold increase in the number of throat cancers they treat. Read the full press release.

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