How to Talk to Patients about Conditions Considered Sexually Transmitted

by Renee Bacher •

Renée Bacher is a freelance medical writer based in Louisiana.

HPV-Linked Cancers Becoming More Common in Young People

According to the American Cancer Society, in the past few decades there has been a dramatic rise in oropharyngeal cancers linked to HPV, and these cancers are becoming more common in younger people with no history of tobacco or alcohol abuse. While the cause of the rising rate of HPV-linked cancers is unclear, some believe it may be due to an increase in oral sex in recent decades.

New Research on Hepatitis C and Its Association with HN Cancers

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston noticed high rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in their patients with head and neck cancers and launched several studies that confirmed the association (Cancer. 2018;124:960-965; J Natl Cancer Inst. 2016;108. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djw035). The virus, spread through direct contact with blood and other bodily fluids, can be spread by sharing needles as well as sexual transmission. These findings may change HCV screening practices and treatment in patients with cancer.