Not just an old man’s disease

Recently, headlines have reported a “very concerning” increase in the number of younger patients in the UK with mouth cancer despite the lack of an obvious reason for a spike in cases. Traditionally, mouth cancer has been considered by many to be an “old man’s disease” – something that young people and women should be less concerned about – with research suggesting that only 20 per cent of women think that they are at risk. Because of this, some patients in these demographics might be flying under the radar. It has been suggested that women, therefore, often miss out on an early diagnosis in a similar way to other supposedly “male” conditions such as cardiac diseases or heart attacks. Some research suggests that, as tobacco use is decreasing, human papillomavirus (HPV) might be to blame for the increasing rates of mouth cancer in younger people.

HPV: what are the risks?

HPV is a virus and there are many different types. It can infect the mouth and throat, with some types (most often HPV 16) leading to mouth and oropharyngeal cancer. In the UK, HPV is thought to be responsible for around 25 per cent of cancers of this kind.