Link found between oral cancers and HPV

There has been an increased number of head and neck cancers in the United States, and it is now believed the human papillomavirus is a contributing factor. Oropharyngeal cancer—cancer of the tonsils, back of the mouth and base of the tongue—has been on the rise since the mid-1980s. Studies suggest people could be exposing themselves through oral sex. It is believed that 70% of oropharyngeal cancers are caused by HPV infection, with tobacco and alcohol accounting for the rest.

Of the cancers found to have been caused by HPV, 95% were HPV16, the strain targeted by the Gardasil and Cervarix vaccines. While the vaccine helps prevent cervical cancer, it has not yet been verified to prevent oropharyngeal cancer.