A mounting wave of throat and mouth cancers is sending ripples through the medical community. Adults above the age of 45 are at the epicenter of this health alarm, as their vulnerability to the illness is becoming starkly evident. Dr. Matthew Old, head and neck surgeon at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, points directly to human papillomavirus (HPV) as the main catalyst of this surge.
The stark reality is that nearly 55,000 Americans are diagnosed with mouth or throat cancer each year, and this number is unfortunately climbing. In a spotlight study from JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, a surge of more than 3 percent in yearly oropharyngeal cancer cases has been underscored, chiefly among white males above the age of 65….