30% of oropharyngeal cancers worldwide are related to HPV infection, linked to sexual practices such as oral sex

In WHO press release on 18 July 2013, A new study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in partnership with Costa Rican investigators and the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI), shows for the first time that the vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18, which is used to prevent cervical cancer, also provides strong protection against oral HPV infections, known to be associated with cancer of the oropharynx and tonsils.

The study, conducted in Costa Rica and published in the journal PLOS ONE, was initially designed to evaluate the vaccine’s efficacy against cervical cancer. It later included evaluation of the vaccine’s efficacy at other anatomical sites, including the oral cavity, where researchers established that the vaccine reduces oral infections with HPV 16 and 18 by more than 90%.

HPV is better known for causing cervical cancer, which is the third most common cancer in women worldwide, with an estimated 530 000 new cases and 275 000 deaths in 2008. HPV types 16 and 18 are also associated with cancers in a variety of other locations, including the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and oropharynx. The estimated number of new cases of cancer of the oropharynx (including the tonsils and the base of the tongue) is approximately 85 000 per year in both sexes worldwide, and men are 4 times more likely than women to be affected.4 However, the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer has increased significantly in recent years in the USA and Europe, particularly among men and in young people.

According to a recent study in the USA, over the past 20 years, the rate of HPV detection in oropharyngeal tumour specimens increased from 16% to 70%.

play safe or risk your life :p