HPV oral cancer imminent?

[saichom]

Hello and thanks for answering my question. I am a 24 year old male who, though I've taken steps recently to reel my sex life in, have had sex with 10+ partners, all of whom I used protection with except one. This particular case was in October 2007. I did not even know about HPV or its connections to cancer, and I performed oral on her before having intercourse without a condom. We had only one such encounter. I found out that she tested positive for a high risk strain of HPV in spring 09, and she informed me recently that the latest test showed that she had cleared it. I don't know how long it persisted, but the timing makes it very possible that I contracted this strain from her. She had multiple partners at this time in her life, and I've read that oral sex in particular puts men at risk for oral cancer years on. I've also read that marijuana may exacerbate this risk, and I regrettably smoked moderately to heavy the last two years until recently.

I have had more than one mouth/throat specialist examine my throat, but I feel it's only a matter of time before pre-cancerous cells develop and grow--and I know how bad the prognosis is for this type of cancer, as well as the probability of its return. It's driving me mad, and try as I might I can't stop thinking about the prospect of premature death due to this. Is there any existing way I can test for the presence of oral HPV? Does a healthy white blood count suggest that my immune system is infection free? What are my odds of getting cancer? I don't mean to sound alarmist, but everything I've read recently has told me I'm at high risk of being next in the rising "pandemic" of young oral cancer victims.

[soscared872]

Statistics can be used to scare you. I had 13 different female partners with whom I performed oral on. The layman press indicates with six or more partners, one has a 250% greater risk of getting oral cancer.

Yet if you think about it, 250% of 5,000 is 12500. And millions of American men this year will give oral sex to a woman.

I suspect social conservative religious people and big drug companies have huge motivations to scare you. Journalists have huge motivations to attract readers.

I don't know where you get a marijuana connection with oral cancer. I am aware heavy tobacco use can greatly increase the chance.

The best you can do is get regular dental checkups. The hygienists and dentists are trained to look for oral lesions. My doctor said once a year would be fine.

I had my panic about oral HPV around thirteen months ago. I wrote to the doctors in the experts section. I am satisfied with their responses. At this poi t, I am more careful. I am too busy for relationships these days but the next time I get wild with a woman I will be cautious. No oral for a long time.

[alahue]

A recent study (2008) observed a statistically significant link between HPV-positive oral cancer and marijuana use. The paper sites other research linking cannabinoids found in Marijuana (Cannabis) to suppression of the immune system. Future studies will need to be conducted to confirm the link between HPV-16, marijuana use and oral cancer.

[SkaterDave]

It appears you're brain has decided to latch onto this and you may be in danger of obsessing even more.  HPV related oral cancer is indeed on the rise, or at least the detection of it is.  Still, the incidence of oral cancer is extremely low in the population.  I think I remember reading that there were like 4000 deaths or new cases of oral cancer last year related to HPV.  That is ridiculously low considering how much oral sex is going on and has gone on in the last fifty years.  If indeed this was a cancer to live in fear of, you'd have to have an incredibly much larger proportion of incidence.  I've had over 20 partners and extensively performed oral sex on all of them.  I have no such fears of oral cancer.  Fearing oral cancer is something that you let go of once you become informed and think about it in a realistic way.  I also feared it for the record.  If you choose to fear it, then you must, by association, fear all other life risks that carry the same or greater odds such as being struck by lighting, getting hit by a car, and things like that.  Putting it in that perspective helped me realize how doomsday I was being about it.  Not only that, your purported risk factors are to me laughable.  what seems like risky behavior to you sounds awfully tame by my standards.  I smoked hardcore weed and cigarettes for ten years and went down on lots of girls.  I admit that there is a wee small chance I may have complications down the road.  But to worry about it would be a waste of times that could be spent living happily.  I strongly urge you to do the same.  Feel free to key word search this and the expert forum for posts that may help you to further allay your fears. You can do it.  Hope this helps.  

Cheers

[saichom]

Thanks for the links. However, in this case I was the one servicing, not receiving, thus putting me at risk for oral hpv.