Oral cancer strikes young
If before the disease affects men over 50, smokers or alcoholics, today affects younger who practice unprotected oral sex.
Rather than think of fun and intimacy, young people should watch their health. Research indicates that the rate of cases of mouth cancer is increasing and the main precursor is the practice of oral sex without a condom. And there is a change in the profile of those who get the disease today, if before the disease affects men over 50, smokers or alcoholics, today affects younger (between 30 and 45 years), do not smoke or drink excessively, but unprotected oral sex.
According to the oncologist Henrique de Lins e Horta, BH Oncomed of the mouth cancer , associated with the HPV virus, unlike the cases related to tobacco and alcohol, most commonly affects the tonsils and base of tongue, and usually some tumors differentiated. “In most cases, survival and response to treatment of patients with this type of cancer is better than the cases associated with smoking and drinking,” he added.
Symptoms of illness caused by viruses are the same as oral cancer associated with smoking and drinking: ulcers (sores) that do not heal oral, vegetating lesions, pain and bleeding in the mouth, difficulty swallowing and nodes in the neck. “Normally, HPV infection is asymptomatic. However, even if the person does not have symptoms, it can transmit HPV, “says the doctor. It is also important to note that not all subtypes of HPV and not all HPV infections will progress to cancer.
Dr. Henry further states that case-control studies have suggested that head and neck tumors caused by HPV are associated with a high number of sexual partners (both oral and vaginal sex). It is also shown that patients affected with this cancer have greater risk of developing cancers in the anogenital region (cervix, vulva, vagina, penis and anus). “So one of the ways to prevent it is to practice safe sex . An important detail: the use of condoms reduces, but does not completely protect the transmission of HPV. And other forms of infection have been described in the literature, including the kiss, “he warns.
The treatment of oral cancer is usually multidisciplinary, and can take advantage of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. “Since the response rate is usually higher in cases associated with HPV,” said Henry. Another aspect worth mentioning is that there are vaccines against some HPV subtypes. “Although major studies to date have evaluated the prevention of genital warts, cervical cancer and anal region, indirectly it is believed that the vaccine also can prevent some cases of cancer of the mouth associated with the virus,” he concludes.
