Human Papilloma Virus, or HPV, has made news recently in public discussions about vaccinating preteen girls against infection. A recent study reviewed in Science News (Dec 31) reported that half of men in North and South America carry the virus. The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is now recommending that preteen boys also be vaccinated.
High-risk types of HPV are linked to 90% of cervical cancers in women. Recent studies show that these same high-risk types cause cancer of the mouth, tongue, tonsils and throat. Oral cancer is the 6th most common cancer in humans, and over half of these cases appear to originate with an HPV infection in the mouth. The virus is contagious and can spread within the mouth or to others.
Cancer screening has always been part of oral exams for Dr. Gary Steen and the hygienists at Centercare. Visual exams depend on an actual lesion, or papilloma, to be present. We now have another tool for detecting the presence of oral HPV in the form of a simple saliva test. This test can detect the presence of the virus even no growth is visible. It simply involves rinsing and spitting with a special rinse which is sent for analysis at Oral DNA Labs (www.oraldna.com).
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