HPV (Human Papillomavirus) is widely known as the virus that causes cervical cancer in women.
However, researchers have found links between HPV infection and the development of certain head and neck cancers.
I wasn't aware of the connection between HPV and head and neck cancer until a co-worker, who had just attended the 2007 multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium in California, informed me of it.
Head and neck cancers are the 6th most common type of cancer in the world, caused mostly by smoking. But researchers are finding that infection with a type called HPV-16 is also associated with a significant number of these cancers.
The survival rate for head and neck cancer is poor, with less than 50% of patients surviving more than 5 years.
Because of the poor survival rate for head and neck cancer sufferers and because not all patients respond in a similar manner to treatment it is important for doctors to know the risk factors associated with the cancer (whether it is smoking, HPV or other factors). Knowing the cause of the cancer can help doctors develop more targeted therapies to improve outcome and survival rate.
The point is that HPV-related cancers are not just limited to women. Both men and women can be affected by the virus.
Fortunately, according to the American Cancer Society, the HPV vaccine that was put on the market in 2006 can also protect against some HPV-related head and neck cancer.
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