Nearly 45 percent of patients had more than ten sexual partners during their lifetime, compared with 19 percent of the cancer-free controls. People under 23 who have had a sex partner at least ten years older are more likely to become infected, possibly because older people have been exposed to the virus longer.
Deep kissing was also associated with increased risks. Those who have had ten or more deep-kissing mates are more than twice as likely to have an HPV-related cancer than those who have not had one or one.
People who reported having their spouses had extramarital affairs, and those who even suspected that their spouses had affairs, also had an increased risk of HPV-associated throat cancer. There was no association between HPV-related throat cancer and smoking, alcohol or drug use.
The study had limitations. It depends on self-reports, which are not always reliable, and because more than 95 percent of the participants described themselves as heterosexual, there were not enough data to draw conclusions about the effect of sexual orientation on HPV and cancer risk. But the analysis closely matched controls, HPV tumor data, and a confidential questionnaire, all of which contribute to its strengths.
Dr. Jason D. Wright, associate professor of gynecological oncology at Columbia, who was not involved in the research, believes the work may be useful in clinical practice. “This is one of the first studies to provide in-depth details to patients on how specific practices affect your long-term risk,” he said. Higher exposure, more partners, oral sex early – these are all risk factors. These are important things to keep in mind when talking to patients. ”
The lead author, Dr. Virginia E. Drake, a resident of Johns Hopkins, said it can be difficult to explain the infection to patients. ‘If people get this infection, they’ll ask,’ Why me? ‘, She said. ‘We do not know how this information will change clinically. But we can give patients a better understanding of the disease process and how someone gets it. ‘
Yet she said: ‘It’s more complicated, more complicated than just the number of sex partners. We do not have the exact answers on this, and we are still trying to figure out the full picture. ”