HPV-Linked Oral Cancers Surge in Men as Cervical Cases Decline

While HPV vaccination has sharply reduced cervical cancer in women, oropharyngeal cancers tied to the virus are rising, particularly among middle-aged and older men. Studies show U.S. cases of HPV-related throat and mouth cancers more than tripled from 1988 to 2004, with a similar tripling seen in Denmark from 2000 to 2017. The trend is driven by high-risk HPV strains transmitted through oral sex, which can persist and cause DNA damage leading to cancer.