Sex and the rise of oral cancer
4/29/2004 Dr Thomas Stuttaford The London Times WORDSWORTH’S early romantic experiences were not confined to admiring daffodils. But the results of these experiences were not as transient as the beauty of the daffodils fluttering in the breeze by a lake. After Cambridge he went on a walking tour of the Continent before living for a time in France, where he fell for a French woman. When he returned to England, he had a nasty dose of chlamydia. The infection spread to his eyes and gave him life-long trouble. The additional lights he needed to follow a church service can still be seen on his pew. It is not only the eyes that may be damaged by sexually transmitted diseases. There is a suggestion that infection with the human wart virus — HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) — which is the cause of cervical cancer, may also be one of the reasons why oral cancer is becoming more common. Springtime love might have a surprising and unpleasant sequel, for the type of cell involved in cancer of the mouth and the cervix is the same. Two years ago Professor Saman Warnakulasuriya, of King’s College London, presented findings on oral cancer to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Seventy five per cent of the patients had lifestyles that included well-known risk factors for mouth cancers. In the past it was customary to attribute these to rotten or broken teeth, but either changing circumstances, or greater knowledge, has shown that the great risks [...]