"Sex Virus Link to Rise in Mouth Cancers"
Belfast Telegraph (03.16.12)

In 2011, the United Kingdom recorded 6,200 oral cancer diagnoses, the first time the figure has surpassed 6,000, Cancer Research UK announced today. The charity attributed the increase to rising rates of human papillomavirus infection. Two-thirds of the oral cancer diagnoses last year were in men, who experts say are more likely to drink heavily and smoke, both significant risk factors for oral cancer. There has been almost a 90 percent increase in cancers at the base of the tongue, and about a 70 percent increase for the tonsils. “It’s worrying to see such a big rise in oral cancer rates,” said Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK’s director of information.