Surging rates of killer cancer fuelled by oral sex prompts urgent warning – the 7 signs you must know
EXPERTS have warned of a surge of deadly cancers fuelled by smoking, drinking and oral sex in England.
Scientists from the University of Sheffield analysed data from 2013 to 2020 and found a significant increase in the cancers – with one type in particular seeing a 47 per cent rise in diagnoses.
Head and neck cancer is a general term used to describe cancers that start in the tissues in these areas.
There are more than 30 parts the head and neck where cancer can develop.
These include the mouth, lips, voicebox, throat, nose, sinuses and salivary glands.
Signs of the cancers can range from persistent ulcers to a sore tongue or a hoarse voice that doesn’t go away.
According to the NHS, there are about 12,400 new cases of head and neck cancer diagnosed every year.
A new report penned by University of Sheffield scientists in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Care warned of a significant increase in cancers in England over the last few years.
It found that 10,735 cases of head and neck cancer were reported in England in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Data suggested that the upwards trend continued into 2021, with over 11,000 new cases recorded
The report suggested that deaths from head and neck cancer were also rising.
Some 3,469 people died of head and neck cancers in 2020, an increase from 3,313 deaths reported in 2019.
And while mortality rates for most other cancers fell during the pandemic, those for head and neck cancer continued to increase in 2020.
Scientists said the surge these diseases was largely driven by an uptick in oropharyngeal cancer, which starts in the part of the throat just behind the mouth and includes tonsil cancer and cancer in the back of the tongue.
Figures show there were 3,834 new cases of oropharyngeal cancer in 2019, a 47 per cent increase from 2013.
According to the report, men were twice as likely to have head and neck cancer compared to women.
People living in the poorest areas of England were also almost twice as likely to be diagnosed, compared to those in wealthier areas.
More than half (53 per cent) of cases were diagnosed at late stage.
Head and neck cancers are now the sixth most common cancer group in the UK, report authors said.
What’s causing the surge?
Rates of these cancers have increased for multiple reasons, according to researchers, including smoking and alcohol consumption.
“Tobacco and alcohol consumption, both separately and in combination, are established risk factors for head and neck cancer,” the report stated.
They referred to research conducted by the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium, which found that tobacco smokers who never drank alcohol were more than two times more likely to get head and neck cancer than those who didn’t smoke or drink.
Similar odds were observed in heavy boozers who had three or more drinks per day but never smoked tobacco.
Smoking and drinking together can make someone five times more likely to develop head and neck cancer, compared with those who only drink alcohol and don’t smoke, authors added.
“Tobacco smoking risks appear to be greatest for laryngeal cancers,
whereas increased alcohol consumption may have a higher magnitude of risk for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers,” they said.
Lifestyle tweaks to lower risk if head and neck cancer
The exact causes of oropharyngeal cancers are not known.
But there are risk factors that can increase your chance of developing it.
The main risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer are:
- Smoking or chewing tobacco or chewing betel quid, with or without tobacco
- Regularly drinking large amounts of alcohol – the more years someone drinks for, the higher the risk.
Your risk of developing oropharyngeal cancer is higher if you do both.
Source: Macmillan Cancer Support
HPV – which stands for human papillomavirus – is another risk factor for head and neck cancer.
This is a group of viruses affecting the skin that don’t cause problems for most people but can develop genital warts or cancer – their link to cervical cancer is well documented.
But certain high risk strains of HPV can also cause anal, penile, vulval and vaginal cancer, as well as some types of head and neck cancer.
“There has been an increase in the number of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers in the last two decades, particularly in males,” the report authors noted.
HPV is passed on through close skin-to-skin contact during sex, as well as vaginal, anal and oral sex, the NHS says.
Aside from practising safe sex, one of the best ways to get protection from the group of viruses is through the HPV vaccine.
Previously offered only to girls, the HPV shot is now available to all 12- and 13-year-olds, regardless of gender, providing a vital defence against cancer.
Anyone who may have missed their chance to be vaccinated in their early teens can also participate in a free catch-up programme available to girls under 25 and boys born after September 1, 2006.
Ali Khurram, a professor and honorary consultant pathologist at the University of Sheffield, said: “There is poor awareness of the disease and the causative factors. We are seeing these cancers in much younger patients now.
“A significant proportion of the increase can be attributed to HPV infection (tonsil cancer), but the majority remain linked to smoking or tobacco chewing and alcohol, which are being increasingly used.
“Poor oral health and socioeconomic factors also contribute to the increased incidence.
“We also have an increasingly ageing population, who are at a much higher risk of getting these cancers.”
Signs of head and neck cancer
The term ‘head and neck cancer’ covers a wide variety of disease types, so symptoms will vary according to where the cancer starts.
If cancerous cells spread to nearby areas, such as lymph nodes in the neck, this can also cause different symptoms.
Macmillan Cancer Support advises you speak to your dentist or GP if you have any of the following symptoms:
- An ulcer anywhere in the mouth area, including your tongue, lasting for more than three weeks
- A red patch (erythroplakia) or red and white patch (erythroleukoplakia) anywhere inside the mouth
- A white patch on its own (leukoplakia) anywhere inside the mouth
- A lump in the neck that does not go away after two to three weeks
- A lump on the lip or anywhere inside the mouth that doesn’t go away
- A sore tongue that is not getting better
- Throat pain, persistent hoarseness and difficulty swallowing that’s not improving
Any of the symptoms can be caused by conditions other than cancer.
But it’s important to have them checked by your GP or dentist – especially if they don’t go away or are getting worse.
Other signs of the cancers can include pain, discomfort or bleeding in the mouth and nosebleeds; swelling around the neck, ears, jawbone, cheeks or eyes; a blocked nose on one side that doesn’t clear; bad breath that doesn’t improve; difficulty or pain with chewing, swallowing or speaking; and losing weight for no obvious reason.
‘Support early detection’
Prof Khurram said: “Head and neck cancer can have a devastating effect on the lives of people with the disease and their families.
“Although head and neck cancer is one of the most common cancers in England with a significantly worse survival compared to other cancers, its awareness among the public, health professionals and funding organisations is poor.
“This report, which is the first of its kind, provides the opportunity to galvanise action to reverse these worrying trends.”
Red flags of cancer you must look for and act upon
There are more than 200 types of cancer, each with its own set of symptoms.
A cough lasting three weeks or more is a key sign of lung cancer – the most common cancer in the UK.
Changes to bowel habits lasting more than three weeks, such as diarrhoea, constipation, blood when you poo, or needing to go more often, are signs of bowel cancer, the second most common form of the disease.
There are also common symptoms that can be “red flags” of many forms of cancer, and should always be checked.
They include:
- Weight loss for no obvious reason.
- Pain that is persistent and unexplained, whether it be dull and consistent, or sharp and brief.
- Any lumps, bumps or swellings, such as in the neck, armpit, stomach, groin, chest, breast or testicle.
- Fatigue that makes you feel tired all the time and generally lacking in energy.
- Night sweats that are very heavy or a fever that can’t be explained.
- Changes to the skin, such as puckering on the breast, moles that have changed, very itchy or yellow skin.
- Unexplained bleeding from the bottom or vagina, or blood in urine, semen, stool, vomit or when coughing.
Zoe Marshman, a professor of dental public health at the University of Sheffield and lead author of the report, added: “This report shows head and neck cancer is on the increase with stark inequalities across the country and an apparent north/south divide.
“People living in deprived areas are much more likely to be diagnosed with oral, oropharyngeal and laryngeal cancers and to be diagnosed at a late stage which makes treatment more difficult and survival less likely.
“To address these will require national and local government, NHS organisations and charities to work together to reduce the risk factors for head and neck cancer – such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption and HPV vaccine uptake – which are all things that individuals can struggle to change without help.
“Improved access to health services including local NHS dentistry is one key way to support early detection.”