HPV-linked throat cancers may have vaccine prevention, Colorado doctors learn more about head and neck cancers

A lump in your throat, along with ear pain or a change in voice, could mean the unthinkable: cancer. Dr. Seerat Poonia, a head and neck surgeon at Swedish, is learning that throat cancers linked to human papillomavirus, or HPV, are preventable. 

"HPV-related throat cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers that we see, [increasing] about four to five-fold in the last 10 years."

Poonia is used to hearing about HPV related to cervical cancer, "We've found that the same strains that cause cervical cancer, are the same ones that cause HPV-related throat cancer."

Poonia treats anything from skin cancer to cancers of the mouth caused by smoking. Around 46 million Americans use tobacco products and about 62% of U.S. adults drink alcohol. 

Poonia says that to avoid head and neck cancers that come about from tobacco or alcohol, she tells patients to abstain from that. With HPV-related throat cancer, "we have a prevention tool. We have a vaccine, which is essentially, cancer prevention."

More and more Poonia sees HPV-related throat cancer in men more than women, although she sees it in a wide range of people. 

The vaccine is available for everyone, "Anyone from the age of nine to 45 should be considering the vaccine."

There is good news, "Cancer in the throat can be very easily treated. Ninety-five percent of patients who have cancer of any stage will survive."