Allen Ho, MD, Director, Cedars-Sinai Head & Neck Cancer Program
Expert Advises Those Active in the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s and ‘70s to Get Checked
WHAT:
In a new video posted today, Cedars-Sinai head, neck and throat cancer expert Allen Ho, MD, reveals why men and women 53 and older face a growing risk for human papillomavirus (HPV)-related throat cancer. The sexually transmitted disease is rapidly becoming the most common head and neck cancer. It is linked to HPV infections that took hold years ago but are now developing into cancer in the tonsils and base of the tongue.
"The sexual practices of baby boomers, including oral sex and multiple partners, increase their risk for this cancer," Ho said. "The disease doesn’t discriminate by income group, so it can affect anyone, from the bus driver to the banker."
WHO:
Ho is the director of the Head and Neck Cancer Program in Cedars-Sinai’s Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute.
WHY:
HPV oral infections occur in about 10.1 percent of men and 3.6 percent of women. More than 9,000 cases of HPV-related throat cancer are diagnosed each year in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. Cancer cases in men are expected to spike in coming years.
HOW:
In the video, Ho says that HPV-related throat cancer symptoms may include a persistent sore throat, hoarseness, enlarged lymph nodes and pain when swallowing, although many people are asymptomatic. The HPV vaccine in children ages 13-26 provides protection from infection and cancer later in life.
