Cancer of head, neck rising; traced to sex

An estimated 7 percent of American teens and adults carry the human papilloma virus in their mouths, an infection that puts them at heightened risk of developing cancer of the mouth and throat, researchers said Thursday.

Their study, the first to assess the prevalence of oral HPV infection in the U.S. population, may help health experts understand why rates of oropharyngeal cancer -- a type of head and neck cancer -- have skyrocketed in recent years, increasing 225 percent between 1988 and 2004.

The findings also indicate that the virus is not likely to spread through kissing or casual contact and that most cases of oral HPV can be traced to oral sex.

"There is a strong association for sexual behavior, and that has important implications for public health officials who teach sexual education," said Maura Gillison of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, who led the study.

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