Is there any research being done on relation of HPV to oral cancer?

Yes, and there is a known causitive relationship. Epstein Barr Virus is suspected as well.

Hi Dick,

You can search two areas on the website for information on HPV.

On this forum page at the top, just under "New Topic" and "Post Reply," is the word search. This will give you a list of member postings discussing HPV.

On the home page at the bottom right is a search for news about HPV and Oral Cancer.

There is a wealth of information here.

Jerry

I just did some searching on the site for this virus. I could not find the answers to the following questions:

When a person is diagnosed with oral cancer, it is standard procedure to test for the HPV? If so what type of test is it (blood)? Which doctor orders the test? (ent or oncologist). If anyone has the answers I would appreciate it.
Thanks
Tami

It is not standard procedure, and whether you are positive or not for it does not impact the treatment plan that you undergo. For the most part it is an academic issue once you have cancer. Getting testing for it now would not help or change things for you in any way. Further, except for a finding of HPV in the tumor itself, (which might be of interest to the doctors for statistical reasons) if it is was surgically removed, many people's bodies have the ability to shed and rid themselves of the virus. The mechanism by which this happens is not understood at this time. Meaning that it could or could not have been a precipitating factor to malignancy. Essentially what that means is that if you were a "never-smoker" and you got this disease you may know what the mechanism was that brought you to OC, but that information would be of no real use to you. If you were a smoker, HPV still could have been a cofactor or a facilitator in the process. Again UBIF...useless but interesting facts. There are literally thousands of peer reviewed published article on the relationship between HPV and oral cancer as well as it's primary malignancy cervical cancer. While this data has lead to a vaccine soon to be released for the prevention of cervical cancer (and to some unknown extent the reduction of head and neck cancers) what we know about it is dwarfed by what we do not know about it. Researches have been working on this topic for decades. One of the most prominent and published of these researchers is Dr. Maura Gillison at Johns Hopkins, who is on the OCF science advisory board. We have put up the usable information out of all the HPV data on the site, but there is much more what is known but for which will not help patients in any manner. Even in our "what you need to know about oral cancer" brochure that we provide to doctor and dentist offices for their regular patients to read, we list HPV as one of the risk factors along with tobacco and high alcohol consumption as a primary risk factor...unfortunately it is also the one that you can do nothing about, except perhaps limit the number of sexual partners in your life.

This is a subject that really hits home with me because it may play a role in some of what has been going on with my own neck lately.

There is substantial evidence linking HPV to Oral Cancer, particularly cancers of the oropharynx (that is the back of the throat including the tonsils, and tonsillar pillar area). The "good news", if you can call it that, is that there have also been a number of studies that have shown not only a greater 5 year survival rate, but actually a lesser rate of mortality period for those with tumours containing HPV versus traditional risk factors or those with no prior risk factors. I believe the number quoted was somewhere around a 59% greater chance of survival.

The other important thing to note, is that HPV has also been found to have a causal relationship in Esophageal cancer as well (which tends to make sense since the lining of the Esophagus contains similar cells to those in the mouth and cervix). What I have been unable to locate there, is any evidence that supports a greater survival rate for Esophageal tumours as well. Much research to be done here still...

Ian.