HPV and Throat Cancer (Post #5)

Hi! Welcome back! This week we will be dispelling a common misconception: that throat cancer is mainly caused by smoking and consuming alcohol. In reality, the leading cause of throat cancer is now a disease called HPV. HPV, or human papillovirus, is a sexually transmitted infection. As you may remember, we have discussed HPV briefly in Post #2. Today we will be discussing it in detail, focusing on its connection to throat cancer.

In recent years, HPV has shown a rising trend. According to the WHO, most sexually active people acquire HPV at least once. However, the large majority of HPV infections are not linked to throat cancer. Out of the 200+ types of HPV, about 14 are high-risk for cancer. So, getting HPV does not automatically mean you will get throat cancer.

What symptoms do people with HPV exhibit? Usually, they are asymptomatic, meaning they exhibit no symptoms. In the rare cases when they do, low-risk types cause warts. High-risk types show symptoms AFTER infection, like a sore throat, voice changes, difficulty swallowing, ear pain, or unexplained weight loss. HPV usually clears spontaneously (on its own) within 1 -2 years.

What types of HPV are high-risk? One specific type to look out for is HPV type 16. It is known to cause the majority of HPV-related throat (oropharyngeal) cancers. Other than that, there are HPV 31 and 33. While the other 11 high-risk types (for example, type 18) are classified as high-risk, they are usually linked with other types of cancer, not throat.

When a person contracts an throat-cancer-linked HPV infection, it often takes years to manifest. In fact, throat cancer linked to HPV typically manifests 20-30 years after the initial infection.

There are also noticeable biological differences between tobacco/alcohol linked throat cancer and HPV linked throat cancer. Due to these differences, HPV-linked instances have higher survival rates and are expected to respond better to treatment.

But what can you do to avoid HPV infections? There are a number of steps you can take. First off, you can take an HPV vaccination. Vaccination has been show to reduce future risk of throat cancer. But keep in mind that vaccination is most effective before getting infected. It cannot treat existing infections. Additionally, you and your partner can test for HPV before engaging in sexual relations. But keep in mind that there is no routine HPV check for the throat. But, you can test for HPV in general. HPV is not detected in STD tests, so it is important that you ask for a specific HPV test. Unfortunately, while it is possible for women to test for HPV, no FDA-approved test exists for men. Lastly, maintain your immunity. A healthy immune system will reduce chances of progression and persistence.

Thank you for reading this week's blog! I hope you learned something new! Come back next Friday to read the next blog post.

Image Citations:

Everyday Health. What Is HPV? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention, images.everydayhealth.com/images/seo-graphic-content-initiative/eh--how-hpv-affects-the-body-seo-graphics-lauren.png?sfvrsn=12874278_3. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.

Information Citations:

Mayo Clinic. “HPV Infection - Symptoms and Causes.” Mayo Clinic, 2021, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hpv-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20351596.

CDC. “HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer.” Cancer, 22 Apr. 2024, www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/oropharyngeal-cancer.html.

“HPV and Throat/Oral Cancer FAQs | Mount Sinai - New York.” Mount Sinai Health System, www.mountsinai.org/locations/head-neck-institute/cancer/oral/hpv-faqs. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.

“Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Test: Results & Interpretation.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22163-human-papillomavirus-hpv-test. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.

World Health Organization. “Human Papillomavirus and Cancer.” World Health Organization, 5 Mar. 2024, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/human-papilloma-virus-and-cancer.

CDC. “About HPV.” Human Papillomavirus (HPV), 15 July 2024, www.cdc.gov/hpv/about/index.html.

OpenAI. ChatGPT, version GPT-5.2, Used to generate background information on HPV, 22 Jan 2026, https://chat.openai.com/.