Source: Multi Briefs
Date: October 24th, 2018
Author: Tammy Adams

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 50,000 new cases of oral cancer in 2018. And between 70 to 80 percent of these cases will be attributed to the human papillomavirus virus (HPV), a virus that has types associated with oropharyngeal cancer.

These staggering numbers call for action; action the American Dental Society is willing to take. Why? Because the HPV vaccine could prevent the vast majority of these new cases, but compared to other vaccines in the U.S., it is underutilized.

According to a resolution passed recently by the ADA House of Delegates, the ADA urges dentists to support the use and administration of the human papillomavirus virus vaccine, recognizing it as a way to help prevent infection of the types of HPV associated with oropharyngeal cancer.

Resolution 53H-2018 cites recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. It states that the vaccination is a “safe and effective intervention to decrease the burden of oral and oropharyngeal HPV infection.”

The policy is the result of a multifaceted ADA council proposal that includes input from the Council on Scientific Affairs, the Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention and the Council on Dental Practice. A workgroup committed to the HPV issue and led by ADA volunteer members developed an evidence-based background report to help write the policy.

Dr. Paul Eleazer, past chair of the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs, said that he is encouraged to see the ADA “get behind” this growing crisis, referring to the rising number of HPV-associated cancers being reported. “There is incontrovertible evidence that this virus is responsible for the sharp uptick in oropharyngeal cancers, especially in younger patients and young adults,” said Dr. Eleazer.

In 2017, the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs and Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry published “Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation of Potentially Malignant Disorders in the Oral Cavity” to inform dental professionals about the potential use of adjuncts as triage tools for the evaluation of lesions, including potentially malignant disorders, in the oral cavity. To view this guideline, visit ADA.org/OralCancer.

To read the full resolution related to the HPV vaccine, members can log in to the Member Center on ADA.org and click on “Committee C—Dental Education, Science and Related Matters” under Reports and Resolutions. It is Resolution 53.