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Capital Health Cancer Center
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The HPV Virus and Oral Cancer: A Rising Diagnosis

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. It causes almost all cases of cervical cancer, and it’s also responsible for many other cancers, including oral and oropharyngeal cancer, or cancers of the mouth and throat. About two-thirds of throat cancers are caused by HPV, surpassing the number of cervical cancer cases.

For females, an OB/GYN can perform an HPV test to check for potential cervical cancers and precancers, but this test cannot find oral HPV. It also completely misses the people who get oral HPV most frequently: men.

Learn more about symptoms and risk factors of oral HPV and how to protect yourself and your loved ones.

HPV-Related Cancers

HPV can cause cancer throughout the mouth and throat, where it can develop:

  • At the back of your throat
  • At the base of your tongue
  • In your oral cavity, or the inside lining of your mouth
  • On the hard and soft palates that form the roof of your mouth
  • On your lips
  • On your tonsils

As a common sexually transmitted infection, HPV also causes cancers in other tissues, including the anus, penis, rectum, vulva and vagina.

What Are Symptoms of Oral HPV?

If you have oral HPV, you may not notice any symptoms. Your body can fight off most HPV infections without you knowing. It’s estimated to take one or more decades for oral HPV to develop into mouth and throat cancer.

If oral HPV progresses toward cancer, you may experience:

  • Earaches
  • Hoarseness
  • Losing weight without trying
  • Persistent sore throat or painful swallowing
  • Problems with your teeth, such as pain or teeth that feel loose
  • Sores in your mouth or throat that don’t heal
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Whitish or reddish patches on your gums or the lining of your mouth

Who’s at Risk for Oral HPV?

Oral HPV is fairly common, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that about 7% of adults in the United States have the virus. HPV travels through skin-to-skin contact in intimate areas, generally during sex. Anal, genital and oral sex can all spread HPV.

Some people are more likely to get oral HPV than others. Risk factors include:

  • Being male
  • Having many sexual partners
  • Having a weakened immune system
  • Using alcohol excessively
  • Using tobacco

How Do Doctors Treat Oral HPV?

There is no treatment for oral HPV. If you worry you might be infected with HPV, you can reduce your risk of developing cancer by quitting smoking and living a healthy lifestyle. See a dentist regularly, too—they may be able to spot changes in your mouth and throat.

If oral HPV develops into cancer, you have multiple effective treatment options available. HPV-related mouth and throat cancer responds well to chemotherapy and radiation. Five-year survival rates for HPV-positive throat cancer range between 85% and 95% for patients who do not smoke.

Lower Your Risk With the HPV Vaccine

While you can’t cure oral HPV, you can lower your risk with one simple step: Get an HPV vaccination. Known as Gardasil, this vaccine can prevent more than 90% of HPV-related cancers.

About the HPV Vaccine

The CDC recommends the vaccine for everyone age 26 and younger.

  • Children age 11–12: Two doses six to 12 months apart
  • Adolescents and young adults age 15–26: Three doses six months apart
  • Adults age 27–45: Ask your doctor about vaccination if you think you’re at risk for a new HPV infection.

People with a weakened immune system should receive three doses. If your childhood doses were closer than 5 months apart, you should also get a third dose.

Other Ways to Lower Your Risk

You can also reduce your risk of getting HPV by:

  • Avoiding alcohol
  • Limiting the number of your sexual partners
  • Quitting smoking or using tobacco products
  • Using protection, such as condoms or dental dams, during sex

The Bottom Line: Protect Yourself From Oral HPV

HPV is an extremely common infection that affects males and females alike. HPV-related oral cancers in men are on the rise, so the most important step you can take is to receive the HPV vaccine. The vaccine lowers your risk for many cancers caused by HPV, ranging from mouth and throat cancers to cancers in the genital region. If you’re an adult, talk to your doctor about whether you should receive the vaccine. If you’re a parent, make sure your children get vaccinated, too.

Concerned about oral HPV? Ask a family medicine doctor about getting vaccinated.