New Study

[gtnbet]

Dear Doctor,
I just watched the Today show and they had a study about HPV and that the number of head and neck cancers has tripled and anal cancer has doubled due to HPV.  They stated that all cancers have gone down and the HPV related ones have gone up.  Can you comment on this?  My worry about acquiring or giving someone oral cancer has just skyrocketed.  

[Edward W Hook, MD]

This is one of those things where there is controversy.  In our opinion, the information that your OB-Gyn provided to you is overly conservative.  Studies have repeatedly shown that persons with HPV are not infectious to partners if there is no evidence of infection 3 months following treatment.

Perhaps some of Dr. handsflields comments in this response to another client some time ago will be helpful on this topic as well- it still summarizes our current knowledge:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/HPV-Transmission/show/1522088

EWH

EWH

[gtnbet]

I just went to the ob gyn yesterday for my annual and he said I could still pass the HPV virus even though its been several years.  What's the truth?  Thank you.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

As long as your Pap smears show no signs of further HPV infection you should not be worried about further infectivity for partners.  EWH

[gtnbet]

Is there any research about the contagious nature of HPV and how long it is contagious?  What are the chances I could still be contagious?

Thank you very much for helping me.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

That you had a LEEP in 2001 does not change my assessment or advice.  Please don't let your LEEP concern you.  The good news is that your pre-malignant changes were discovered and treated - celibrate this and your good health.   There is no reason to think that you, or your HPV strain is somehow more virulent than others.  EWH

[gtnbet]

Are your comments the same for me since I had a Leep in 2001?  Are my chances for spreading HPV low at this point?  I had negative paps and HPV tests.  Sorry for the anxiety!!   I feel like I am an outcast in my group of friends because although they may have had HPV, very few have had a LEEP.  Does this mean my former HPV strand is more dangerous?  Thank you.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Thanks for letting me know of this coverage on the Today Show.  I have not yet seen the study you are mentioning but it is "old news". We have known for some time that oral cancer rates are increasing in the U.S. and the links between oral cancer and HPV are well described but not completely understood.  As scientists, we need to promote our research and thus tend to emphasize the import of our own research.  The study you mention is likely to build on other previously known research.  Even with rising rates, oral cancer remains extremely rare in the U.S.  As other cancer rates fall, that leaves "room" for other sorts of cancer to become "more common" as a proportion of total cancer.  Further, with the new data from studies of the sort you describe, dentists and oral surgeons are doing a better job of detecting these cancers than they used to be.  Finally, while HPV is related to some but not all oral cancers, tobacco use remains far and away the most common contributing factor to oral cancers.  Thus, both nationally and globally the best thing that can be done to reduce oral cancers is for persons to stop using tobacco (i.e. cigarettes, pipes, cigars, and chewing tobacco).  Please take a look at these two prior blog-like posts which Dr. Handsfield wrote.  While we do not deny that HPV can cause oral cancers, they remain quite rare and dentists are now doing a better job than ever of detecting them.  I would not let fear of oral cancer due to HPV worry you or have a deleterious effect on your sex life.

Take a look at these links

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/HPV-and-oral-sex/show/1515473
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Oral-HPV-Cancer-Risk/show/1512873

Take care.  EWH