HPV Vaccine Bonus
Women who get the vaccine for human papilloma virus (HPV) might get a double benefit with a reduced risk in oral cancers, according to the journal General Dentistry.
“More than 100 strains of HPV have been identified,” says Dr. James Closmann, lead study author. “They have been shown to cause other benign and malignant disorders, which now include those in the mouth. It’s possible that oral and oropharyngeal cancers could be reduced if vaccination were more widespread.”
A dentist can perform a head and neck exam to identify oral cancers. More than 30,000 of the aforementioned cancers are diagnosed annually.
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