Why Are More Older Men Getting Throat Cancer?

[+ sync]

 

 

 

 

• HThroat cancer may not receive as much attention as some other medical conditions, including other cancers, but experts are urging older men to educate themselves about this growing health risk.

 

 

Rates of throat cancer, which had declined for many years, are now on the rise, especially among men 50 and older. And a major reason for this shift has to do with a common and highly contagious virus.

For a long time, cases of oral and throat cancer (also known as oropharyngeal cancer) were linked primarily to lifestyle habits like tobacco and alcohol use—behaviors that have become less common over time, explains Dr. Maie A. St. John, director of the deparment of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery for the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

 

 

But over the past three decades, the incidence rates for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer have been rising, she says, and this increase has mainly been attributed to the rise in cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says HPV is now identified as a probable cause for up to 70 percent of all oropharyngeal cancers in the United States.

 

 

“The incidence of throat cancer caused by HPV has surpassed cervical cancer as the most common cancer associated with the human papillomavirus,” St. John says. “So we actually do consider it an epidemic.”

 

 

The role of HPV — and a problematic stigma

 

HPV is an extremely common virus that can cause certain types of cancer, including cancer of the cervix, vagina or throat. The virus is spread through sexual activity, including oral sex, and other direct skin-to-skin contact, according to the CDC.

 

 

 

Bobbi Dempsey is a freelance writer who has written about a variety of topics, including health and entertainment, for aarp.org and AARP The Magazine. Her work has also appeared in Parade, The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine and other outlets.

 

Edited November 23 by sync

[Nue2thegame]

HPV. Should be in Men’s Health

Edited November 23 by Nue2thegame

[+ sniper]

This is why I got the.HPV vaccine at 46.

[Nue2thegame]

My understanding is that the main problem with getting it at a later age is that it may not elicit as much of an immunologic response to offer effective protection. In reality, application in older adults hasn’t been studied adequately to draw conclusions. Can’t see any harm other than autistic offspring (just kidding). 

[+ purplekow]

Indications for the vaccine are up to age 46 at the discretion of the physician and the patient.  Younger people are recommended to have it up until age 26 starting at age 12 or so.  

[+ SirBillybob]

Not to undermine the well-intentioned purpose of the thread, but at first glance the heading inquiry appeared to be leading to ‘getting throat-banged’, which would be rather odd for this forum and its population share of boomers. 😏

Edited yesterday at 11:38 AM by SirBillybob

[+ SirBillybob]

On 11/27/2025 at 2:45 AM, Nue2thegame said:

My understanding is that the main problem with getting it at a later age is that it may not elicit as much of an immunologic response to offer effective protection. In reality, application in older adults hasn’t been studied adequately to draw conclusions. Can’t see any harm other than autistic offspring (just kidding). 

Right, effectiveness and immunogenicity bridging assumptions are applicable without knowing what risk-tier subtype infections have already left the station. In fact, the lower bounds of confidence intervals even for youth in some studies represent surprisingly poor outcomes. Nevertheless I took Gardasil at out-of-pocket cost past age 65; one can live several additional decades and, perhaps more importantly, augment protectionism with respect to intimacy with unvaccinated young adults. Some degree, latency notwithstanding, of herd immunity contribution if not directly conferred absolute transmission prevention to individual partners. 

Edited yesterday at 11:55 AM by SirBillybob