The February 2012 issue of Consumer Reports discusses HPV and oral cancer. The CR medical advisor discusses why she had her two boys vaccinated with the HPV4 vaccine, Gardasil. I can't link thru the pay wall to the full article but here are excerpts

[quote]A few months ago, after a friend learned he had late-stage cancer of the base of the tongue and another friend died from the same disease, I knew it had to be more than a sad coincidence. Neither man was a smoker or regular alcohol drinker, two risk factors associated with squamous-cell carcinoma of the mouth and throat. That left one other likely, albeit less discussed, cause: infection with human papillomavirus, or HPV.

Researchers are discovering that this virus, widely linked to cervical cancer and genital warts, also seems to greatly increase the risk of oropharyngeal cancers�malignancies of the tonsils, soft palate, throat, and base of the tongue. They�re more than twice as likely to occur in men as in women, and the number of cases is growing to the point that medical experts have begun referring to the problem as an epidemic.[/quote]

[quote]The presence of HPV in mouth and throat tumors was around 16 percent in the 1980s, then it mushroomed to roughly 73 percent in the 2000s, according to an extensive review of data from three cancer registries in the Nov. 10, 2011, issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The authors of the study predict that by 2020, the number of HPV-related mouth and throat cancers will surpass those of cervical cancer, currently the focus of HPV vaccination. Middle-aged men appear to be at particular risk; the striking growth in oral cancer cases in the U.S. in recent years has been mainly in white men in their 50s and younger.
[/quote]

[quote]When you consider how alarmingly common HPV infection is�at least 50 percent of sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives, and about 20 million Americans are currently infected�it�s not hard to understand why health-care professionals have started throwing around the word �epidemic� in relation to the virus.[/quote]

It even ends up with great advice
[quote]Be sure that your regular dental visit includes an oral soft-tissue exam. Because the base of the tongue lacks pain fibers, tumors in this area often cause no symptoms until they�ve grown significantly.
Go to a doctor if you see or feel any suspicious, persistent lumps in your neck or if you experience difficulty swallowing, an unexplained weight loss, or pain in your mouth or ear.[/quote]

I know all this is old old news on OCF, but a lot more people pay for CR subscriptions: 7.3 Million for the print and another 1.2 Million for online (like myself). The only thing missing is a reference to OCF.


Charm

That's great that the news is getting out to that size subscription base, Charm. Thanks for posting it. I'd been reading lately that - and I believe this was a study-based finding rather than just someone's opinion - the strategy to concentrate the Gardasil vaccination efforts on young girls might have a better long-term outcome as it would be easier to implement, is already in place and doesn't require yet another societal paradigm shift (i.e. adding boys to the mix). But, if successful, would ultimately protect both sexes from HPV. Of course, it would do nothing to reduce transmission rates in gay men, which is certainly a consideration.

Whatever it takes.

Yeah that OCF reference or link would have been a nice perk for having pointed them at all the right sources� At least the story is getting out, and I have to remember that is a huge part of our mission, not seeing our name in print. (Though that is important to getting more people to find us - both those who need help, and those who are donors).

The study referred to in paragraph 2 was co-funded by all of you (OCF) and the NCI along with the James Cancer Center - we're quite proud that the data set was built from tissue samples that were (in the past) never allowed to be touched by anyone, as they are part of a national archive tissue bank. But that allowed us to look back into the 70's and see the growth of HPV16, and project what 2020 will look like with real scientific validity. Thank all of you who donate to OCF to help make this kind of thing happen.

Actual article in full http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/HPV/pdf/JCO-2011-Chaturved.pdf

I might add that that study was the straw on the camel's back that got the CDC off their asses and allowed the boys vaccination recommendation for H&N. As for the mentioned paradigm sift of concentrating on girls in the vaccination program, we are the only country in the world that gender base vaccinates our kids for HPV, the idea (even in cervical cancer prevention) negates the fact that men are vectors of the virus to women. More, to get what they want (herd immunity), would take more than 75% of the women in the US to be vaccinated. When you consider that it is not effective in women over 26 (unless they have not contracted the virus) it will take a couple of generations for that to take place IF -IN A HIGHLY CONSERVATIVE, MORALLY ANAL RETENTIVE SOCIETY - WE CAN STOP THE ANTI-VACCINE MOVEMENT THAT IS TAKING PLACE IN HPV AND OTHER VACCINATIONS IN THE US. Me, if I was a parent I wouldn't wait until a couple of generations for this to MAYBE take place, and I would protect my young sons.

So we didn't get a mention, but we are getting the job done. On that note, please everyone tell your dentists, ENT's hygienists, etc. to get involved with OCF for this years Oral Cancer Awareness month in April. Just send them to the OCF home page and have them click on the dark red banner at the top to get the process started. We'll hold their hands all the way, seeing htey have the right stuff, to beat the 54,000 individuals in the US that we had screened for free in offices around the US last April.

Here's the herd immunity story

http://oralcancernews.org/wp/girls-only-vaccine-could-be-best-weapon-against-HPV/

http://oralcancernews.org/wp/success-of-HPV-vaccination-is-now-a-matter-of-coverage/

The report above also indicates that you are unsure about why Whites are affected by HPV cancer, both in number and increase, when you read this report on page 26 shows of course that any increase is not found in other groups than just white, is someone completely seriously claim that only whites have or have had an increase in oral sex? http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-031941.pdf
No increase in the percentage of groups african american, asian or pacific, American Indian, Alaska Native or Hispanic Latino, these groups have not oral sex?




"However, existing data do not provide a clear explanation for the observed differences by race. Additional research is needed to clarify the routes of oral HPV transmission and to develop appropriate, targeted prevention strategies."

Zeb

The above post indicates to me that you are unduly fixated on oral sex and HPV. You are the one and only OCF member who has 100% of his posts on the topic of oral sex & HPV. Plus out of the 14 posts so far, IMO, not one is helpful or supportive to the cancer patients or caregivers here. Instead you treat OCF like your personal debating club on your sexual obsession disguised as a health concern. Worse, your comments are illogical.
But I don't mind dealing with logic impaired people, so let me spell out for you that the table in the study on p 26 and its caveat that they have no clear explanation for racial disparities does NOT invalidate the transmission of HPV via Oral sex as a cause for increased oral cancers. It does raise a question as to whether races may process HPV differently or if there is a genetic or heredity issue in susceptibility. Many cancers affect races differently.

[quote]The cancer experience among ethnic and racial groups varies widely across the world as well as here in the United States. The differences between groups may be related to a variety of factors including biology, heredity, and perhaps most important, behavior. [/quote]
That's the summary of the NIC on its statistics NIC- racial/ethnic patterns in cancer

So bottom line: Oral sex transmits HPV. HPV can cause oral cancer. Not everybody who gets HPV gets oral cancer. We don't know why someone gets oral cancer from HPV and others don't, regardless of their race or sex.
Charm

ok I get your message and your opinion, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
As the study does not eliminate HPV transmission through oral sex as a reason they do not point out oral sex as a 100% sure the reason, as you do, maybe you know this better than the scientists, what do I know.
Please compare the statistics of HIV infected and the number of people living with HIV, compared with the same racial groups, you see a connection? as well as plenty of research showing that HPV in saliva is mainly influenced by HIV status, now I know that there are many who have HPV and cancer of the mouth without having HIV, but the large increase is in these groups, the area behind basis for the research report in this thread are Hawaii, Iowa, and Los Angeles, California, which also gives an abnormally high HIV incidence.

if I'm too focused on oral sex and HPV, perhaps, but it is a topic that interests the general public and there are many questions and thoughts about this, not least in my country.
It is displayed also on how the media reported the substance, we know how to get readers,
Many people naturally want to know how to "plan" their sex life, if that is so that oral sex is a risk, it is easy to eliminate this risk by giving up oral sex, as Dr. OZ in your country suggests.
seeking this knowledge as they do on diet, smoking, alcohol, exercise, how to live their lives to reduce the risks

Please don't forget that many of have gotten oral cancer and tested negative for HPV. We also are nonsmokers and light drinkers. I am glad that thr HPV link is receiving more publicity, but please don't forget the rest of us.

Zeb

Anybody who plans their sex life based on Dr Oz is a sad individual.
Charm

Dr. Oz is a new acquaintance in our country, but I understand that he is known in the U.S.? one of our TV channels has purchased a suite of software and you can also see them on the internet, a passage about oral cancer and he had invited his "buddies" in white coats who sat and looked serious, Dr. Oz pointed with fingert the audience and the camera and gave their warnings for oral sex! section ended with him saying "give up oral sex"!
clear that such makes all our young troubled ..... many have had their debut with oral sex and what is done is done, it creates anxiety that is probably exaggerated, but white coats and television programs have the power to influence people's minds