Tonsil, tongue cancer linked to HPV virus

HOUSTON, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- The rate of tonsil and base of tongue cancers may be rising in some U.S. populations due to the human papillomavirus infection, a review found.

Dr. Erich M. Sturgis and Paul Cinciripini of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, concluded that the stagnate incidence rates of oropharyngeal cancers, particularly cancers of the tonsil and base of tongue, in the face of declines in tobacco use, the principal cause of head and neck cancers, are likely explained by rising prevalence of oropharyngeal -- chiefly, tonsil and base of tongue -- exposure to a tumor-forming virus.

The researchers said the literature points to exposure to HPV -- especially strain 16 -- as having the strongest association to oropharyngeal cancers.

The review, published in the Oct. 1 issue of the journal Cancer and available online, found an increasing trend in the incidence of oropharyngeal cancers, particularly among men younger than under 45, for which HPV infection is the likely cause.

Men are three times more likely to be diagnosed with cancers of the head and neck, which include cancers of the larynx, nasal passages/nose, oral cavity, pharynx and salivary glands, than women.