In recent decades, there has been an increase in throat cancer in the West, according to the BBC news outlet, it has even been listed as an epidemic. The cases that have been increasing are of a specific cancer, oropharyngeal, which affects the tonsils and the back of the throat.
The main cause is the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is also responsible for cases of cervical cancer. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, HPV can infect the mouth and throat and is believed to cause 70% of oropharyngeal cancers in the United States.
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However, research by Hisham Mehanna, the Director of the Institute of Head and Neck Studies and Education at the University of Birmingham has revealed that people who have had six or more sexual partners in their lifetime have 8.5 more. chances of developing this type of cancer compared to those who do not practice oral sex.
Generally, people who become infected with HPV usually take years for cancer to develop. It is not yet clear if oropharyngeal cancers are caused by HPV or if other factors such as smoking or chewing tobacco also play a role.
Although it is not yet clear, research indicates that there are a minority of people who are not able to completely clear HPV from their bodies, which may be caused by a “defect in a particular aspect of their immune system.” What causes the virus to “integrate” into the person’s DNA, which can cause their cells to become cancerous.
What are the symptoms of oropharyngeal cancer?
Symptoms may include:
♦ Persistent sore throat
♦ Earaches
♦ Hoarseness
♦ Swollen lymph nodes
♦ Pain when swallowing
♦ Unexplained weight loss
♦ Some people may not have symptoms
HPV vaccination could be effective
Vaccination prevents cervical cancer and, as the research points out, this could “be effective in preventing HPV in the mouth,” The Conversation reported.
The CDC health portal has recommended that vaccination against this virus in preadolescents from 11 to 12 years. So can all people up to 45 years of age who have not yet been vaccinated. However, at that age it provides less benefit, because people have already been exposed to the virus.
The incidence of this type of cancer has increased in Puerto Rico. According to information published by El Nuevo Día, research carried out by Dr. Ana Patricia Ortiz, professor and researcher at the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program of the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of Puerto Rico (CCCUPR), the rate has increased to rate of 2% per year. In fact, the island is one of the jurisdictions in the United States that is furthest from reaching the goal of eradicating cervical cancer, established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018.
“HPV vaccination is the tool we have for the prevention of cervical cancer. By the year 2020, almost 70% of adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 had started the vaccination series against the virus on the island. However, for that same year, only 49.8% of them had completed the full series of vaccinations,” Dr. Ortiz mentioned in the article.
For more information on this topic, visit www.lasvocesderhaiza.com or call 787-789-4008. Instagram: @lasvocesderhaizaFacebook: /lasvocesderhaiza. For vaccines visit Voces Vaccination Coalition of Puerto Rico ( www.vocespr.org).
2023-08-07 00:40:00
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