The human papillomavirus (HPV) may be to
blame for the alarming increase of young adults with oropharyngeal
cancer, according to researchers from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. The study, which examined the trends in
cancers of the base of the tongue, tonsils, soft palate, and pharynx
among people 45 years old and younger, was presented at this week's
American Society for Radiation Oncology annual meeting, held September
22-25 in Atlanta.
The study revealed an overall 60% increase from 1973 and 2009 in
cancers of the base of the tongue, tonsils, soft palate, and pharynx in
this demographic. |