Oral sex could fuel the rising number of throat cancer cases, according to health experts.
UK radio presenter Jamie Theakston, 53, has revealed his diagnosis of stage one laryngeal cancer after listeners noticed a change in his voice.
Theakston announced this week that he will be taking a break from his role on Heart Radio, reports Mail Online Tuesday.
“Around 70 per cent of throat cancer cases are caused by HPV,” said Dr Hisham Mehanna from the University of Birmingham, adding that multiple oral sex partners can increase the risk up to ninefold.
Doctors have long linked smoking and alcohol consumption to head and neck cancers, but new research points to human papillomavirus (HPV) as a significant contributor.
He said people with multiple oral sex partners have an up to nine-fold increased risk of throat cancer, also known as oropharyngeal cancer.
He wrote in The Conversation that there has been a “rapidly increasing throat cancer in the west’ to the extent some have called it ‘an epidemic’.”
Around eight in ten people will carry HPV on their body at some point, with around a third of the population infected at any one time, research shows.
It is most commonly found on and around the genitals, and usually causes no problems—the virus is so considered so harmless that its immune system doesn’t naturally try to fight it off.
However, for reasons that aren’t fully understood, the virus can invade body tissues and trigger cell changes that lead to cancer.
There are over 150 types of HPV, but only about 12 can cause cancer. HPV 16 and 18 are the most common high-risk strains that can cause oropharyngeal cancer.
The UK and US are both experiencing a “throat cancer epidemic,” with around 12,800 new cases annually in the UK and approximately 71,100 in the US.
Since the early 1990s, head and neck cancer rates in the UK have surged by more than a third, according to Cancer Research UK.
HPV, a virus typically considered harmless and spread through sexual contact, has been linked to various cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, and cervix.
“HPV 16 and 18 are the most common high-risk strains that can cause oropharyngeal cancer,” Mehanna added.
Laryngeal cancer, which affects the voice box, is four times more common in men and often diagnosed in those in their 60s.
Common symptoms include persistent hoarseness, pain when swallowing, and a lump in the neck. Early detection can improve outcomes significantly, with survival rates around 65 per cent for five years after diagnosis.
Theakston’s co-star gives update
Theakston’s co-star Amanda Holden provided a health update, reassuring fans of his positive outlook after his early-stage diagnosis.
NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, Professor Peter Johnson, emphasised the importance of early detection.
“While any cancer diagnosis is daunting, it is really positive that Jamie’s has been picked up early.
“Talking about cancer and how to spot signs and symptoms helps save lives, as detecting cancer early gives people the best chance of successful treatment.
“One in two of us will develop some form of cancer in our lifetime—but thanks to continued progress, more cancers are now being diagnosed at an early stage than ever before and survival rates are at an all-time high, so I would encourage anyone to visit their GP if they have worrying symptoms, and to take up screening appointments when they receive them,” he said.
HPV vaccines, currently offered to 12- and 13-year-olds in the UK and US, have been effective in reducing rates of head and neck cancers. Despite this progress, doctors urge greater public awareness of the link between oral sex and HPV-related cancers.
Research shows the overwhelming majority of (85.4 per cent) and women (83.2 per cent) perform oral sex during intimacy.
HPV has been shown to increase the risk of several cancers, including cervical, mouth, anal, penile and vaginal.
Hollywood legend thoughts
In separate news, the agency also reported that Hollywood legend Michael Douglas revealed in 2013 that “his mouth cancer diagnosis was likely to have been caused by performing oral sex.”
The Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct star, now 79 and married to Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, 54, was successfully treated and is still cancer-free.
There is a vaccine for HPV. It is more than 80 per cent effective and available in much of the developed world.
It is a two-dose vaccine for children between ages 11 and 12. The shots come 12 months apart.
For people who missed that window, a three-dose shot is available to people 15 to 26.
The vaccine has been offered to girls in England and Wales since September 2008 before being widened to include boys in 2019.
But the jab doesn’t just help prevent cervical cancer, it has also proved effective in slashing rates of head and neck cancers.
Rates have dropped from 6.3 cases to 2.8 cases per 100,000 men, according to a study involving more than 5 million men and women in the United States.
What is Laryngeal Cancer?
Laryngeal cancer affects the larynx (voice box), a 2-inch structure at the throat’s entrance to the windpipe. In the UK, around 2,300 cases are diagnosed annually, with men being four times more likely to be affected and most cases occurring in those in their 60s.
The main symptom is a hoarse voice lasting more than three weeks. Other symptoms may include changes in voice, pain or difficulty swallowing, a lump in the neck, persistent cough, breathlessness, sore throat, earache, wheezing, difficulty breathing, bad breath, and general fatigue.
Diagnosis and treatment depend on the stage of the disease. Early-stage laryngeal cancer is typically treated with radiation and surgery.
Advanced cases may require the removal of the entire larynx followed by chemotherapy, which can significantly impact speech and breathing.
Survival rates are higher with early detection, with about 65 per cent of patients surviving five years after diagnosis. The larynx, essential for producing sound, preventing food from entering the windpipe, and aiding breathing, is crucial to overall function.
Laryngeal cancer is part of the broader category of head and neck cancers, which claim over 4,000 lives in the UK each year.