Recent research unveils a significant lack of awareness among Americans concerning human papillomavirus (HPV) and its critical link to throat cancer, which accounts for a staggering 70% of cases.
Despite these concerning statistics reported by the National Cancer Institute, only about one-third of the population recognizes HPV as a potential cause of throat cancer.
While HPV is often associated with cervical cancer, the reality is that throat cancer is now the most common type of cancer connected to this virus.
Research Findings on HPV Awareness
Two studies from the USC Head and Neck Center at Keck Medicine of USC shed light on this alarming trend: many adults in the U.S. are not only unaware of the HPV-throat cancer relationship but also underutilize the preventive HPV vaccine.
The studies aimed to gauge public awareness around HPV, throat cancer, and the rates of vaccination among adults.
The findings are striking; fewer than 33% of American adults connect HPV to throat cancer, and only 7% of those eligible have completed the full three-dose regimen of the HPV vaccine. Dr. Daniel Kwon, a head and neck surgeon and the lead investigator of the studies, explains that this low level of understanding poses a significant barrier to disease prevention.
Approximately 43 million individuals in the United States are infected with HPV each year, predominantly affecting sexually active individuals.
While most HPV infections don’t manifest any symptoms and resolve on their own, some may lead to severe health outcomes, including throat cancer.
Vaccination Rates Among Adults
Introduced in 2006 for females aged 9 to 26, the HPV vaccine was expanded to males in 2009 and its eligibility broadened once more in 2018 to include adults between 27 and 45.
Though older adults who may have previously encountered the virus might derive limited benefit from the vaccine, the CDC acknowledges that there are still potential advantages for this age group.
To investigate public knowledge about the HPV-throat cancer connection, Dr. Kwon and his team analyzed data from the National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey from the years 2018 and 2020.
They specifically focused on adults aged 27 to 45, a group newly eligible for vaccination at the time of the study, assessing whether the revised guidelines had any impact on awareness.
In their comparative analysis of responses from 3,504 adults in the 2018 survey and 3,865 in 2020, the researchers found that while many respondents understood what HPV is, awareness of its link to throat cancer remained disappointingly low.
The percentage of those recognizing this connection only increased slightly—from 27% to 29.5%—over the two years, indicating minimal progress despite various public health initiatives following the expansion of vaccine eligibility.
Dr. Kwon underscored the need for increased education regarding HPV and its association with throat cancer, particularly as successful awareness campaigns targeting cervical cancer have yet to translate to similar understanding of throat cancer.
Unlike cervical cancer, which can be monitored through Pap smears, throat cancer has no established screening process, making public awareness even more crucial.
Factors Impacting Vaccination
He also noted a particularly high incidence of throat cancer among men, making it vital to tailor education efforts toward this demographic.
In a distinct study, researchers at the USC Head and Neck Center analyzed HPV vaccination rates among over 26,000 adults aged 30-44 surveyed from 2018 to 2022.
The results were concerning; only 6.5% had completed the vaccination series, and merely 15.8% had received any dose of the vaccine.
Dr. Niels Kokot, the lead author of this study, attributed these dismal numbers to several issues.
Many people remain unaware of the HPV-cancer link, and compared to more widely publicized vaccines like those for the flu and COVID-19, promotional efforts for the HPV vaccine have lagged significantly.
Additional factors, including socioeconomic status, race, education level, healthcare access, sexual orientation, and gender, also play pivotal roles in the likelihood of receiving the vaccine, with men and those lacking a personal healthcare provider being notably less likely to get vaccinated.
Dr. Kokot aims for these findings to ignite a renewed focus on public education surrounding the HPV vaccine.
He encourages individuals who are eligible but not yet vaccinated to speak with their healthcare providers about their options, as personal health circumstances may warrant vaccination.
In addition to cervical and throat cancers, HPV is also linked to various other malignancies, including those of the anus, penis, vagina, and vulva.
This broad spectrum of potential HPV-related conditions highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive public health strategy.
Source: ScienceDaily