Cancer Prevention Research study finds persistence of oral HPV-16 infections in men increases with age.

Study published Nov. 12, 2014 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention finds men can get oral HPV infection from women. The Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and Merck & Co. (maker of Gardasil) funded the study. See Abstract.

National Institutes of Health awards grant to study whether proactive communication tools can increase HPV vaccination rates.

National Cancer Institute reports results of three head and neck cancer trials.

New research in the Journal of Cancer Policy outlines the need for an “oncopolicy” among high-income countries to find “actionable strategies that policy-makers could implement to reduce the number of people diagnosed with the disease, enhance the quality of life for those living with the disease and lessen the likelihood of dying from the disease.”

Published online August 29, 2013, Journal of Cancer Policy:
“Oncopolicy in high-income countries can make a difference in HPV-related Head and Neck Cancer”
Abstract
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a causal agent in a subset of Head and Neck Cancers (HNC), which is being diagnosed in younger men without a significant history of tobacco and alcohol use. The increasing incidence of these cancers and the burgeoning cost associated with treatment should make this issue a legitimate oncopolicy agenda priority. This communication details a number of actionable strategies that policy-makers could implement to reduce the number of people diagnosed with the disease, enhance the quality of life for those living with the disease and lessen the likelihood of dying from the disease.

Based on a HPV and Head and Neck Cancer symposium held in National University of Ireland, Galway on May 17th 2013. We make the argument that a supra-regional, multidisciplinary, research-focused approach to HPV-related HNC is urgently needed. Policy-makers could support a network of researchers in the fields of epidemiology, pathology, clinical treatment, health economics and public health to work together to raise public awareness about the disease, treat patients to the highest international standards and evaluate prevention strategies such as gender-neutral HPV vaccination. We hope that this communication will hold sway in many high and middle-income countries.