Kissing could be the Cause of Increased Mouth Cancer Prevalence
Most people think of romantic images and sharing special moments with loved ones when they think of kissing, but research has revealed that kissing could actually be the cause of an increased number of mouth cancer cases.
Many people are aware that drinking and smoking are risk factors for oral cancer, but awareness of the risks associated with the human papilloma virus (HPV) is much lower and a survey carried out by SimplyHealth revealed that only 3 percent of Brits were aware of the link between HPV and oral cancer. Experts believe that the increased prevalence in the disease among young people may be down to kissing and intimate physical contact, which is causing HPV to be spread among young people.
HPV infections are very common and most strains are harmless. However, some strains can be very dangerous and HPV has been found to cause cervical cancer and recent research studies have concluded that the virus is also a major risk factor for oral cancer.
According to figures from Cancer Research UK, mouth cancer cases have increased by a quarter over the last decade and this trend shows no signs of stopping. Despite the increased prevalence, public awareness of the disease is still relatively low and many people are unaware of the causes and symptoms, meaning that the majority of cases are not diagnosed until an advanced stage.
Symptoms to look out for include red or white patches in the mouth, lumps in the mouth or throat and sores that take a long time to heal.
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