Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) in the mouth increases a person's risk of developing head and neck cancers, according to researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
HPV-16 is known to be a primary cause of cervical cancer. In the new study, researchers found that oral HPV-16 infection increases a person's risk for oropharyngeal cancers, which refer to cancers found in the middle part of the throat including the tonsils, the tongue and the soft palate, according to a press release.
The researchers analyzed the data of nearly 97,000 people who participated in two bigger studies. All the volunteers did not have cancer at the start of the experiment. The volunteers gave samples of mouthwash, and they were followed for an average of 3.9 years. A group of 396 healthy individuals served as control.
Upon follow-up, 132 participants developed head and neck cancer. Further investigation showed that those with HPV-16 detected in their mouthwash samples were 22 times more likely to develop oropharyngeal cancer compared to those whose mouthwash samples had no HPV-16.
The researchers also found that the presence of beta-HPVs and gamma-HPVs in the mouth contributed to the likelihood of having oropharyngeal cancers.
The study demonstrated that using mouthwash samples to check for oral HPV can help healthcare providers determine if a patient is at a greater risk for head and neck cancers.
The study was published online Jan. 21 in JAMA Oncology.
