Some Cancers Linked to HPV on the Rise - NYTimes.com

A consortium of research institutions reports that while cancer death rates have continued to decline since the 1990s, the incidence of some cancers associated with human papillomavirus, or HPV, has increased.

A survey, published last week in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found that incidences or death rates of lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancers have decreased. But oropharyngeal, anal and vulvar cancers, all associated with HPV infection, have increased.

At the same time, cervical cancer, which is also linked to HPV infection, decreased among all ethnic groups except American Indians and Alaska Natives. The lead author of the report, Ahmedin Jemal, a vice president at the American Cancer Society, attributed the decline to the broader use of Pap smears to detect precancerous lesions.

Nationally, only 32 percent of girls ages 13 to 17, and less than 2 percent of boys, have received all three doses of the HPV vaccine. Coverage was even lower in some Southern states, where cervical cancer rates were highest and Pap smear testing prevalence the lowest. The vaccine costs about $390, and only 14 percent of uninsured teenagers were vaccinated.

The overall cancer death rate, Dr. Jemal said, could decline with ?successful interventions,? like eliminating smoking and obesity.

Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/14/some-cancers-linked-to-h-p-v-on-the-rise/

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