Oral sex & cancer

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Dr Richard Ma
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by Dr Richard Ma on Wed Jun 12, 2013 8:31 pm

Re: Oral sex & cancer

It's difficult to say!

Risk factors for oral cancer have traditionally been smoking and alcohol; these risks are thought to account for over three quarters of oral cancers in Europe.

Cancer Research UK issued a press release last year noting increasing numbers of oral cancers diagnosed [http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer- ... 000-a-year]. Some believe that "high-risk" strains of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) may account for some of this increase; HPV-16 is one such type and is also implicated in cervical cancer.

There was one study that linked oral sex with oropharyngeal cancer but the number of people studied were too small [100] to make any firm conclusions about cause and effect.

Thankfully oral cancer is relatively uncommon and the majority of people with oral HPV infection may not get cancer. If you are worried about any bleeding or abnormal symptoms in your mouth (including your tongue), please see your dentist.

The best advice so far to prevent oral cancer: do not smoke and drink alcohol in moderation!
Dr Richard Ma
General Practitioner

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