HJAR Mar/Apr 2023

52 MAR / APR 2023 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS ORAL HEALTH 3 American Cancer Society. “What Are Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers?” Last revised March 23, 2021. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/oral- cavity-and-oropharyngeal-cancer/about/what-is- oral-cavity-cancer.html 4 WebMD. “Celebrities With Head and Neck Can- cers.” Reviewed Sept. 5, 2021. https://www.webmd . com/cancer/ss/slideshow-celebrities-head-neck- cancer 5 National Institutes of Health, National Cancer In- stitute. “HPV and Cancer.” Updated Jan. 31, 2023. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes- prevention/risk/infectious-agents/hpv-and- cancer 6 Garcia, M.R.; Leslie, S.W.; Wray, A.A. Sexually Transmitted Infections. Treasure Island, Flori- da: StatPearls. Updated Nov. 28, 2022 PMID: 32809643 7 Kombe Kombe, A.J.; Li, B.; Zahid, A.; et al. “Epi- demiology and Burden of Human Papillomavirus and Related Diseases, Molecular Pathogenesis, and Vaccine Evaluation.” Frontiers in Public Health. Jan. 20, 2021. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.552028 8 Hübbers, C.U.; Akgül, B. “HPV and cancer of the oral cavity.” Virulence 6, no. 3 (2015): 244-8. doi: 10.1080/21505594.2014.999570 9 American Cancer Society. “Signs and Symptoms of Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer.” Last revised March 23, 2021. https://www.cancer.org/ cancer/oral-cavity-and-oropharyngeal-cancer/ detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms. html 10 Hertrampf, K.; Jürgensen, M.; Wahl, S.; et al. “Ear- ly detection of oral cancer: a key role for dentists?” Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncol- ogy 148, no. 6 (June 2022): 1375-1387. doi: 10.1007/ s00432-022-03962-x 11 Mayo Clinic. “Mouth Cancer: Diagnosis & Treat- ment.” Oct. 26, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/ diseases-conditions/mouth-cancer/diagnosis- treatment/drc-20351002 12 Ehrsson, Y.T.; Sundberg, K.; Laurell, G.; Lan- gius-Eklöf, A. “Head and neck cancer patients' perceptions of quality of life and how it is af- fected by the disease and enteral tube feed- ing during treatment.” Upsala Journal of Medi- cal Sciences 120, no. 4 (2015): 280-9. doi: 10.3109/03009734.2015.1075630 13 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Cancers Caused by HPV Are Preventable.” Last reviewed Nov. 1, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/ hcp/protecting-patients.html#:~:text=HPV%20 v a c c i n a t i o n % 2 0 c o u l d % 2 0 p r e v e n t % 2 0 more,the%20United%20States%20every%20 year.&text=Cervical%20cancer%20is%20the%20 only,detection%20at%20an%20early%20stage. 14 Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion. “HPV Vaccination Recommendations.” Last Reviewed Nov. 16, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/ vaccines/vpd/hpv/hcp/recommendations.html 15 Hakeem, A.; Catalanotto, F.A. “The role of den- tal professionals in managing HPV infection and oral cancer.” Journal of Cancer Prevention & Cur- rent Research 10, no. 4 (Aug. 21, 2019): 82-88. doi: 10.15406/jcpcr.2019.10.00397 everyone older than age 26 years. Some adults ages 27 through 45 years might decide to get the HPV vaccine based on discussion with their clinician, if they did not get adequately vaccinated when they were younger. HPV vaccination of people in this age range provides less benefit, for several reasons, including that more people in this age range have already been exposed to HPV. • For adults ages 27 through 45 years, clinicians can consider discussing HPV vaccination with people who are most likely to benefit. HPV vaccination does not need to be discussed with most adults over age 26 years. 14 The perception of many healthcare pro- fessionals is that it is the responsibility of physicians to inform and educate their pa- tients about the HPV vaccine. However, both medical and dental providers should discuss this cancer preventing vaccine with their pa- tients. Dental providers screen for oral and oropharyngeal cancers each time a patient comes into their office for regular visits. They are the first line of defense to discuss this vaccine with their patients and parents of this adolescent group. 15 As more healthcare providers discuss this important association of oral cancer and HPV infection, education about this association will grow. Emphasizing cancer prevention by promoting awareness of this potentially life- saving vaccine will also remind patients that without good oral health, it is not possible to have good overall health. n REFERENCES 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Trends in Incidence of Cancers of the Oral Cavity and Pharynx — United States 2007-2016.” Morbid- ity and Mortality Weekly Report 69, no. 15 (April 17, 2020): 433-438. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/ volumes/69/wr/pdfs/mm6915a1-h.pdf 2 The Oral Cancer Foundation. “Oral Can- cer Facts.” Accessed February 2023. https://oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/ “The role of dental providers is vital not only in early detection, but in educating and informing patients of an abnormality. Dentists are essential, as they increase survival rates by detecting a cancerous lesion at an early state.”