Seven Percent of All Americans Have a Form of HPV That Can Cause Oral Cancer?

Did you know seven percent of all Americans have a form of HPV that can cause oral cancer?

About 16 million Americans have oral HPV, a sexually transmitted virus more commonly linked with cervical cancer that can also cause oral cancer, according to the first nationwide estimate conducted by the American Medical Association.

While mouth cancers are on the rise, most people with oral HPV will never develop cancer, and many don’t have the kind of the HPV most strongly linked to cancer. However, it is important to understand the symptoms associated with head and neck cancers, and ways to reduce risk.

Symptoms of head and neck cancers can include a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, ear pain and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

To lower your risk of developing head and neck cancers, limit alcohol consumption and tobacco use, especially chewing tobacco. The FDA has approved two vaccines for preventing cancer-related HPV types.

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Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=145896738