Doctor implies oral sex has surpassed smoking and alcohol as greatest risk factor for THROAT CANCER
- Dr Daria Sadovskaya said men are more at risk by performing oral sex on women
- Women more likely to carry HPV in their genital area, which can cause cancer
- READ MORE: Tragic victims of America’s young colon cancer epidemic
A doctor on TikTok has claimed oral sex is the number one cause of throat cancer.
Dr Daria Sadovskaya, 29, from Singapore, posted a video last month about the link between performing oral sex on a partner and the potentially life-threatening disease.
Traditionally, tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption are thought to be the two greatest risk factors for developing throat cancer.
But when one of Dr Sadovskaya’s hundreds of thousands of followers asked ‘Are you saying oral sex is proven to be the number one cause of throat cancer?’, she replied by mouthing to the song lyrics: ‘I said what I said.’
Doctors say that increasingly, human papillomavirus (HPV), a family of viruses that infect the genitals and can be transferred to the throat during oral sex, are the source of throat cancers.
Men are at higher risk because women are more likely to carry the virus. Michael Douglas famously claimed HPV was the cause of his throat cancer.
Projected annual number of oropharynx cancer cases in the US. Cancer of the oropharynx can occur on the back one-third of your tongue, soft palate, tonsils, and side and back walls of the throat, and is often referred to as oropharyngeal cancer
Doctors have warned that HPV — the world’s most common STD — is the leading risk factor for throat cancer in men and women (stock)
Oral sex can lead to an HPV infection at the back of the throat or near the tonsil.
HPV is most well known for its links to cervical cancers but is behind about one in 20 cancers worldwide – including of the mouth, throat, penis and anus.
These infections go away on their own in most cases but sometimes can persist and cause throat cancer, a general term that refers to cancer that grows in the throat, called pharyngeal cancer, or in the voice box, called laryngeal cancer.
Most throat cancers involve the same kinds of cells, but specific terms are used to categorize the area of the throat where the cancer originated.
Nasopharyngeal cancer begins in the nasopharynx, which is the part of your throat just behind your nose.
Oropharyngeal cancer begins in the oropharynx — the part of your throat right behind your mouth that includes your tonsils.
Hypopharyngeal cancer, also known as laryngopharyngeal cancer, begins in the hypopharynx (also known as the laryngopharynx) — the lower part of your throat, just above your esophagus and windpipe.
In 2023, an estimated 54,540 American adults will be diagnosed with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer, and 11,580 will die from the cancer.
READ MORE: Many Americans don’t realize HPV can cause cancer
Shocking result was revealed in a survey by doctors at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan.
Oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers occur most often in the tongue, the tonsils and oropharynx (the part of the throat behind the mouth), the gums, the floor of the mouth, and other parts of the mouth.
Between 2015 and 2019, incidence rates increased less than one percent per year in women but were stable in men, according to the American Cancer Society.
But cancers in the oropharynx linked with HPV infection increased yearly by 1.3 percent in women and by 2.8 percent in men during 2015-2019.
The average age of diagnosis for oropharyngeal cancer is 64, but more than one in five cases occur in people younger than 55.
Actor Michael Douglas was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2010.
When he was asked by the Guardian if he regretted the years of smoking and drinking thought to be associated with his illness, the actor said: ‘No. Because without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus [oral sex on a woman].
Dr Sadovskaya said in her video: ‘Men are more likely to develop throat cancer performing oral sex on women, as women are more likely to carry the virus in their genital area.’
Dr Sadovskaya, who goes by @sadoskaya_doctor on TikTok, often shares everyday health insights and medical facts with her 90,000 followers on social media.
She recently hit the headlines after sharing why it’s crucial to tie your hair up when going to the toilet to avoid fecal matter impacting your skin.
In her latest video, which has over 141,000 views, Dr Sadovskaya reveals a horrifying link between oral sex and throat cancer.
Oral sex can lead to an HPV infection at the back of the throat or near the tonsil.
These infections go away on their own in most cases but sometimes can persist and cause cancer.
Speaking to NeedToKnow.co.uk, Dr Sadovskaya said: ‘Women who engage in oral sex can also be at risk, especially if their partners have an oral HPV infection.
‘However, women are more commonly infected with high-risk HPV strains through vaginal or cervical contact, which can lead to cervical cancer.’
Symptoms include chronic bad breath, persistent pain in the throat, neck or ears and difficulty swallowing.
Other symptoms include blood in saliva, breathing difficulties, voice changes, persistent cough and a lump in the neck, Dr Sadovskaya said.
She recommended getting HPV vaccination to prevent HPV-related cancers.
There is a vaccine for HPV, but only 54 percent of Americans have received it — far below the 80 percent figure believed to be a threshold for population safety.
Dr Sadovskaya said: ‘You can also do regular HPV screenings and check-ups, which helps to detect and treat infections or abnormalities early.’
‘It’s also important to practice safe sex by using condoms,’ she added.
Scientists at NYU Langone estimate that as much as 70 percent of throat cancer cases are caused by HPV infections.
In the UK, head and neck cancers combined are responsible for more than 12,000 cases and 4,000 deaths per year.
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