The signs and symptoms of throat cancer have been explained, with many unaware of its link to oral sex.
Actor Michael Douglas went public with his cancer diagnosis back in 2010, but only revealed that it was caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) three years later.
He also revealed that it was caused by oral sex and said that he can 'remember the look' on his doctor's face when a 'walnut-size tumour' was found at the base of his tongue.
Douglas first sought medical help in 2010 after experiencing a sore throat which stuck around for a prolonged period of time, with health experts determining that he had stage IV squamous cell carcinoma oral cancer.
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The Basic Instinct star underwent an eight-week course of extreme treatment, which included radiation and chemotherapy. While Douglas has been cancer-free for years, he admitted that the treatment 'takes it out of you', managing to lose 20kg while on a water-only diet.
As he claimed that oral sex was the cause of his condition, here are all the symptoms of HPV to look out for, as early screening could save a life.
Symptoms of oral HPV
It is important that you see a doctor if you notice these symptoms persisting, or if they are starting to worry you:
- Long-lasting sore throat
- Hoarseness
- Ear aches
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Pain when swallowing
- Unexplained weight loss
Some people have no symptoms, according to the US Centres For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), though serious cases of HPV can cause warts or cancer.
How severe can HPV be?
HPV is the single most common sexually transmitted infection in the US.
There are over 100 types of the virus, and 40 of those can spread through direct sexual contact to the genital areas, as well as the mouth and throat, according to The Oral Cancer Foundation.
Oral HPV is transmitted to the mouth by oral sex, among other ways.
How is HPV transmitted through oral sex?
It is estimated that 10 per cent of men and 3.6 per cent of women have oral HPV, while the CDC claim that all sexually active people will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives, though most people are cleared of the virus in just one to two years.
In the US, it is estimated that HPV causes 60 to 70 per cent of oropharyngeal cancers.
Speaking to The Conversation, Dr Hisham Mehanna explained: "Those with six or more lifetime oral-sex partners are 8.5 times more likely to develop oropharyngeal cancer than those who do not practice oral sex.
"80 per cent of adults reported practicing oral sex at some point in their lives, but only a small number of those people develop oropharyngeal cancer."
He pointed out that most of us who catch HPV infections will be 'able to clear them completely' over time, but explained: "A small number of people are not able to get rid of the infection, maybe due to a defect in a particular aspect of their immune system."
Dr Mehanna said that the virus can replicate continuously in these patients, integrating in random positions in their DNA, which can cause host cells to become cancerous.
What happened after Douglas's cancer diagnosis?
After his diagnosis and treatment, which he described as being 'like the seven circles of hell', Douglas said he was 'just happy to be alive', adding to the Daily Mail: "I was ecstatic. It feels like a rebirth after you go through cancer and you come out of it. You feel like you’re a child.
“You see priorities differently. You have a much deeper appreciation of marriage, of your children – you see everything a little bit clearer, and a little brighter.”
However, the Ant-Man star said he regretted the 'embarrassment' the story caused his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, whom he married in November 2000.
He said: "I was trying to make a public service comment. It was one of those things... and I so regretted any embarrassment that it caused Catherine. And her family."
Douglas also revealed in 2013 that he had tongue cancer, as he told Samuel L. Jackson on This Morning that he was advised to 'just say it's throat cancer' as it was 'before I had to go on a big tour for Wall Street'.
"So we kind of said there's no way we can cancel the tour and say we don't feel well … You've got to tell them," he said. "I said you've just got to come out and just tell them I've got cancer and that's that."
Joshua Nair