Experts believe that oral sex may be the biggest factor in the rise of throat cancer in the US.
According to the American Cancer Society, there has been a yearly increase of 1.3% in women and 2.8% in men between 2015 and 2019.
Oropharyngeal cancer, commonly known as throat cancer, refers to the development of malignant cells in the throat, oesophagus or tonsils.
According to the National Cancer Institute, symptoms can include sore throat, throat pain, difficulty swallowing and changes in voice.
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 54 000 Americans are diagnosed with throat cancer every year, while approximately 10 000 die from the disease annually.
Hisham Mehanna, a professor at the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences at the University of Birmingham, has pointed out that there has been a “rapid increase” in throat cancer over the past two decades.
He identified oral sex as the main risk factor for the disease.
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