Rochester, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/26/2015 -- There is a growing need to educate patients about the association between HPV and oral cancers. According to a report, dental professionals rarely discuss HPV related oral cancers with their patients. (1) This is despite the fact that, "in medical centers across the United States, HPV is now responsible for more than half of all oropharyngeal cancers diagnosed. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, HPV is now the leading cause of all oropharyngeal cancers." (1)

The Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (CBCD) therefore recommends that individuals ask their dentist or oral hygienist if they do oral cancer screenings. Additionally, the Center recommends that infected individuals introduce their dentists to a study on natural remedies that were shown to reduce symptoms of HPV. One such study was published in the peer reviewed, medical journal Pharmacology & Pharmacy.

The study can be read here:
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=36101

Research shows that worldwide rates of oral HPV infection and resulting head and neck cancers are rising. Dr. Forte and colleagues wrote in a study that "recently, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been causally associated with a subset of head and neck cancers, particularly oropharyngeal cancer." (2) Dr. Forte and colleagues are from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.

A report from the Oral Cancer Foundation states that "HPV oral and oropharyngeal cancers are harder to discover than tobacco related cancers because the symptoms are not always obvious to the individual who is developing the disease, or to professionals that are looking for it." (3)

Even though oral HPV symptoms can be hard to recognize, if you notice any of the following, a trip to the doctor is recommended: "It could be a sore spot on the gum, or cheek, or on your tongue. Is it a red patch? Is it a white patch? Is it an ulcer that's just not healing … most bumps or sores in the mouth are not cancer, but if you notice any changes in your oral health tell your dentist, especially if the problem doesn't go away." (4)

Are there treatments available against the HPV?

"There are no drugs approved against the HPV. Current treatments include procedures, such as cryotherapy, conization, and the Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP). These procedures use liquid nitrogen, a surgical knife (scalpel), a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser, or electrical current to remove the abnormal growths caused by the HPV. These growths include cells that harbor the active virus. The procedures do not target cells with the latent virus. Since they do not remove the latent virus, these procedures only produce a temporary remission." (5) In contrast some natural remedies were specifically designed to help the immune system target the latent virus.

The Center recommends that healthcare professionals, including dentists, read the study located here:
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=36101

References:

(1) Opichka, C. "HPV and oral sex: You want me to discuss what with my patients?!" dentistryiq.com

(2) Forte T1, Niu J, Lockwood GA, Bryant HE. "Incidence trends in head and neck cancers and human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer in Canada, 1992-2009." Cancer Causes Control. 2012 Aug;23(8):1343-8.

(3) oralcancerfoundation.org - HPV / Oral Cancer Facts.

(4) Polansky H, Itzkovitz E. Gene-Eden-VIR Is Antiviral: Results of a Post Marketing Clinical Study. Pharmacology & Pharmacy, 2013, 4, 1-8

(5) Fox 21KQDS - "HPV Linked to Oral Cancer" Published on May 19, 2015.