5 cancers of the nose and mouth related to HPV

According to Dr. Huynh Tran An Khuong, Medical Specialist, VNVC Vaccination System, cancer of the nose and mouth has many risk factors, including smoking, drinking alcohol, poor oral hygiene, environmental pollution, exposure to dangerous radiation and infection with some high-risk HPV types. In particular, HPV is recognized to have a clearer role in oropharyngeal cancers, especially cancers related to the tonsils and base of the tongue.

HPV is transmitted mainly through sexual contact, including oral, genital and anal sex. Most infections can clear up on their own after a period of time. However, if the infection is prolonged, the virus can affect mucosal cells, increasing the risk of precancerous lesions and cancer after many years.

Dr. Khuong said that cancers related to HPV in the nose and mouth often have no specific symptoms in the early stages. Patients can easily mistake it for sore throat, canker sores, sinusitis or common dental diseases, so they usually only go to the doctor when the tumor is large, has swollen neck lymph nodes, persistent pain or affects eating, drinking and talking.

Oropharynx

Oropharyngeal cancer is the group of head and neck cancers most often mentioned in relation to HPV, especially HPV type 16. The disease can appear in the back of the throat, tonsils, base of the tongue and nearby tissues. Men are infected more than women. Some cases without a history of smoking or heavy drinking are still found to have HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer.

Common symptoms include persistent sore throat, trouble swallowing, one-sided earache, hoarseness, bad breath, unusual lumps in the throat or swollen lymph nodes in the neck. These signs are easy to ignore because they are similar to common sore throat or tonsillitis. People whose symptoms last more than two weeks, especially with swollen neck lymph nodes, should see an ear, nose and throat specialist.

Tongue

Tongue cancer can develop in the front of the tongue, where the patient can see it when they open their mouth, or at the base of the tongue, where it is harder to see. Some studies have documented that high-risk HPV, especially type 16, is associated with a portion of tongue cancer cases, in addition to familiar factors such as tobacco, alcohol, poor oral hygiene or chronic irritation in the oral cavity.

Warning signs include ulcers on the tongue that do not heal quickly, discolored tongue, burning pain, bleeding, and a feeling like there is a fish bone or foreign object under the tongue. In its late stages, the tumor can affect the ability to chew, swallow, and speak and increase the risk of requiring extensive surgery.

Tonsils

Tonsils are lymphoid tissue located on both sides of the throat, participating in protecting the body against agents entering the mouth and pharynx. Tonsil cancer can be related to HPV, especially in younger people compared to head and neck cancer caused by tobacco and alcohol. The disease often manifests as a one-sided sore throat, painful swallowing, bad breath, mild bleeding, pain spreading to the ear or swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

Dr. Khuong noted that many people only think of chronic tonsillitis when they have recurring sore throats. However, if the symptoms are persistent, do not respond to conventional treatment or there is an unusual tumor in the neck, the patient should not self-medicate for a long time and need to see a specialist.

Lip

Lip cancer is often related to ultraviolet rays, smoking, drinking alcohol and chronic damage to the lip area. HPV has also been noted as a possible contributing factor in some cases. It can start with cracks, white patches, red patches, ulcers or hard spots on the lips that don’t heal after weeks.

Because the lesion is located in an easy-to-observe location, lip cancer has a chance of being detected early if the patient pays attention to unusual changes. On the contrary, self-medication, burning of lesions or delaying examination can cause the disease to spread to the oral cavity, jaw or neck lymph nodes.

Nasal sinuses

Cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is a rarer group of diseases, which can be related to many factors such as wood dust, chemicals, smoking, chronic inflammation and some high-risk HPV types. When the tumor is small, the patient often only has one-sided nasal congestion, nasal discharge, reduced sense of smell or repeated nosebleeds. These symptoms can easily be mistaken for sinusitis or a cold.

If detected late, the tumor can invade the orbit, skull base or nearby structures, making treatment more complicated. People with persistent one-sided nasal congestion, unexplained nosebleeds, facial pain or blurred vision need to see a doctor soon.

According to Dr. Khuong, preventing cancers in the nose and mouth requires a combination of many measures. People should not smoke, limit alcohol, maintain oral hygiene, treat long-term infections in the ear, nose and throat early, have safe sex and get examined when there are unusual signs.

The HPV vaccine helps the body create immunity to the HPV types included in the vaccine. In particular, the HPV Gardasil 9 vaccine is indicated for men and women aged 9-45 years old, helping to prevent HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, 58. In addition to preventing cancer, the vaccine also helps prevent genital warts caused by two types of HPV 6 and 11. People who have been infected with one or more types of HPV can still be advised by their doctor to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of infection with other types included in the vaccine and avoid reinfection. The vaccine does not require testing before injection. People who have had sex or given birth should still get vaccinated.

The vaccine is not effective in treating HPV infection or lesions that have already developed. People who have been vaccinated still need to maintain a healthy lifestyle, have safe sex and see a doctor when they have suspicious signs such as mouth ulcers that do not heal, persistent sore throat, swollen neck lymph nodes, one-sided nasal congestion or unusual nose bleeding.