Unprotected oral sex ‘expected to overtake smoking’ as the main cause of mouth cancer

An infection transferred during oral sex could overtake smoking as the main cause of mouth cancer, a clinic has said.

While smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and chewing tobacco were once the primary risk factors for mouth cancer, recent years have seen an increase in cases caused by HPV, or the human papillomavirus, according to online health clinic Euroclinix.

The HPV virus currently accounts for 25% of all mouth cancers gloabally and 35% of throat cancers, compared to two thirds attributed to smoking – though it is difficult to quantify the effect precisely, due to the testing methods available and the other risk factors involved.

As outlined by the NHS, detecting HPV cells in a patient with oral cancer does not mean HPV caused the cancer.

The virus becomes part of the genetic material of the cancer cells, triggering their growth.

Though the claim that somehow HPV will overtake smoking as the main cause is questioned by some:

‘Smoking is linked to about 65 per cent of mouth cancers in the UK, whereas only 8 to 14 per cent of cases are thought to be linked to HPV,’ Fiona Osgun, Cancer Research UK’s health information officer, told Metro.co.uk.

‘Around 90 per cent of mouth cancer cases are preventable – things like staying smokefree, cutting down on alcohol and making sure you get your 5-a-day can all help reduce the risk.’

There are hundreds of HPV strains, most of which do not lead to cancer, but there are around 15 strains which are associated with cancer.

And, according to Euroclinix data, the number of men and women contracting HPV has been increasing year on year.

For context, 6,797 people in the UK in 2011 were diagnosed with mouth cancer. Up to 80% of people in the UK will be infected by a strain of HPV at some point of their life.

Graph showing the growth of HPV-related mouth cancer cases for men and women from 1993 – 2011 (Picture: Euroclinix)

HPV can be contracted through unprotected genital, anal or oral sex and affects the skin around the penis, mouth, rectum, cervix and throat.

To help prevent contracting HPV during oral sex, the NHS advises men to wear condoms and women to place a latex square or dental dam over their genitals.

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