Oral cancer's new demographic: 20s and 30s, non-smokers

September 11, 10:04 AMHouston Dental Health ExaminerDenise Williams

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Typically, persons at greatest risk for oral cancer were smokers and frequent consumers of alcohol over the age of 50. An increasing number of oral cancer patients, however, have never smoked. Another demographic that is surfacing are persons in their 20s and 30s who were exposed to the human papillomavirus (HPV) and then developed oral cancer.

The strain of HPV that most commonly causes cancers in the uterus and cervix is the same as the virus being seen in oral and oropharyngeal cancers, prompting many dentists to push for oral cancer screening for all patients regardless of risk factors. Several studies have shown a relationship between oral sex and the presence of HPV DNA in mouth and throat samples. Other studies have shown a relationship between oral sex and HPV positive throat cancers, particularly in those individuals who perform oral sex on men.

Most oral cancers are not diagnosed until they are in stages III or IV which dramatically reduces survival rates. If the cancer were identified in stage I, survival rates are in excess of 80% compared to less than 60% when discovered in a more advanced stage. The American Cancer Society estimates over 7,500 people will die of oral cancer in 2009 and another 35,000 will be diagnosed with the disease.

People with advanced stages of oral cancer will require chemotherapy and radiation to reduce the size of the lesion followed by surgical procedures that can be disfiguring. If detected early enough, lesions can be removed through a local dissection, a much less dramatic procedure.

As more dentists are joining the effort to help improve oral cancer survival rates which have not progressed in decades, don’t be surprised or offended, if in addition to discussing the impact of smoking and alcohol consumption on your oral health, your dentist highlights the role sexual habits can play as a preventative tool for oral cancer.

For more info: Talk to your dentist, family physician, or viist websites like the Mouth Cancer Foundation or the Oral Cancer Foundation.