Human Papilloma Virus and Cancer of the Oral Cavity/Oropharynx
Posted in Otolaryngology on July 21, 2010
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a member of the herpes virus family that has many different subtypes. Infections from various subtypes can lead from wart formation to squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer.
Most of the research of HPV-associated cancer has focused on cervical cancer, which is almost exclusively due to HPV infection. However, recent research has shown that some oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers are also caused by HPV infection. Typically, most of these cancers are strongly associated with tobacco and alcohol use. What is interesting is that HPV-positive cancers seem to have higher overall survival, as recently published in the July 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
This indicates that cancers caused by HPV may be fundamentally different than ones caused by tobacco or alcohol exposure. Head and neck oncologists are now looking at the HPV status of tumors to help determine the best treatment strategies for patients.
Sincerely,
Nilesh Shah, MD.