ATLANTA — Actor Michael Douglas’ comments about throat cancer have thrown a spotlight on cancer risks from a sexually spread virus.
The virus, HPV, is best known for causing cervical cancer. But experts say it also is a growing cause of certain types of oral cancer, those in the upper throat — specifically at the base of the tongue and in the tonsils. Studies suggest that HPV can be blamed for 60 to 80 percent of those cancers.
In the U.S., the American Cancer Society estimates there will be nearly 14,000 new cases of upper throat cancer this year.
Researchers say women sometimes get oral cancer caused by HPV, but the risk is greatest and rising among men. A small study in Baltimore found men accounted for about 85 percent of recent HPV-related oral cancers, said Dr. Sara Pai, a Johns Hopkins University researcher.