Well, the party's over

[khaosworks]

Damn you, scientists! Damn you all to Hell! Brought To Your Attention By Mr. Terence Chua, Who always Knew This Seeking Knowledge Thing Would Lead To No Good

Oral Sex Shown to Be Linked to Mouth Cancer
Wed Feb 25, 2:54 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Although the risk is small and it is more likely to result from heavy drinking and smoking, scientists have uncovered evidence that oral sex can cause mouth cancer.

Researchers had suspected that a sexually transmitted infection that is linked to cervical cancer could also be associated with tumors in the mouth.

Now a study by researchers working for the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France seems to have confirmed it.

"Oral sex can lead to oral tumors," New Scientist magazine said Wednesday, referring to the latest research.

The scientists studied more than 1,600 patients from Europe, Canada, Australia, Cuba and the Sudan with oral cancer and more than 1,700 healthy people.

They found that patients with oral cancer containing a strain of the human papilloma virus (HPV) known as HPV16 were three times more likely to report having had oral sex than those without the virus strain.

"The researchers think both cunnilingus and fellatio can infect people's mouths," the magazine added.

Raphael Viscidi, a virologist who worked on the research, believes the findings substantiate the link between HPV and oral cancer.

"This is a major study in terms of size," he said. "I think this will convince people."

High consumptions of alcohol and cigarettes are estimated to cause 75-90 percent of all cases of oral cancer. The combination of tobacco smoke and alcohol are thought to produce high levels of cancer causing agents.

Scientists are currently working on vaccines to prevent cervical cancer, which is more common, but they might also be effective against oral cancer.

"It is thought the vaccines would prevent oral infections as well," the magazine added.

Comments

[vulpine137.livejournal.com]

Pardon the pun...but damn that blows ;)

[estoile.livejournal.com]

Bummer, eh?

But I prefer the New Scientist article, http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994712, which is more detailed and contains this vital paragraph:

"The risk, thankfully, is tiny. Only around 1 in 10,000 people develop oral tumours each year, and most cases are probably caused by two other popular recreational pursuits: smoking and drinking. The researchers are not recommending any changes in behaviour."

Good to know they're being sensible about this ...

[osj.livejournal.com]

Cervical cancer?

Isn't that something that mainly afflicts women? Which would mean that cunnilingus is the real danger?

Which means it still safe for men to get blow-jobs? Right? Right?

(Okay, terribly sexist...I know...but I couldn't resist...)

In any case, still sounds a darn sight safer than smoking...

Does that mean we ALL have to wear little stickers with government health warnings?

WARNING : BLOWING THIS MIGHT BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH!

[zsero.livejournal.com]

No. Cervical cancer obviously affects only those who have a cervix, but the virus that causes it (HPV) infects both sexes. Well, it has to, otherwise it wouldn't spread, would it? And it does affect men as well - it causes genital warts.

And it shouldn't be surprising (though I will admit that it hadn't occured to me) that giving oral sex to a person with HPV could cause cancer in the mouth or throat. After all, gonorrhea in the throat is by now a well-known risk of giving oral sex to someone with the bacterium that causes that. And HPV does cause anal cancer (people who like to receive anal sex are advised to get pap smears done there). So it stands to reason that it would also cause cancer elsewhere, if the appropriate contact takes place.