HPV-linked throat cancer on the rise among South Korean men
In South Korea, the HPV vaccine has traditionally been considered a vaccine for women.
SEOUL - Throat cancers linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV) are on the rise among South Korean men, according to a local expert on July 29 .
Dr Park Jun-wook, a head and neck cancer specialist at the Catholic University of Korea's Seoul St Mary's Hospital, said the rising trend underscores the importance of raising awareness about HPV-related cancers and the
need for vaccination among men .
HPV is widely known as the leading cause of cervical cancer, and in South Korea, the HPV vaccine has traditionally been considered a vaccine for women.
However, in recent years, medical experts have warned that HPV can also cause oropharyngeal cancer, a type of cancer that affects the upper part of the throat, especially in men.
Oral sex with an HPV-infected partner has been widely considered a major route of transmission.
Recent data further supports the need for men to get vaccinated.
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, genital warts, primarily caused by HPV, were most commonly found among men in their 20s and 30s in 2023.
In 2023, there were 14,146 male cases in their 20s and 19,719 in their 30s. This was approximately 4.4 times higher than the number of cases among women in the same age groups, which were 5,418 and 2,324, respectively.
HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer is also on the rise.
A 2023 report by the Korean Society of Otorhinolaryngology found that 487 men were diagnosed with HPV-caused tonsil cancer in 2019, a 2.6-fold increase from 187 cases in 2002.
Dr Park also warned that these cancers can be difficult to detect early, as symptoms often are not immediately apparent.
'Head and neck cancers can be silent early on. If you notice a sore in your mouth that doesn't heal or a lump in your neck, you should seek medical attention promptly,' he said.
Early detection is critical to improving survival rates.
According to Dr Park, the five-year survival rate for advanced cases ranges from 50 to 60 per cent , but rises to over 80 per cent when the cancer is caught early. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Former Milan captain Baresi undergoes lung surgery, says recovery underway
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Former AC Milan and Italy defender Franco Baresi is recovering well after undergoing surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule, the Serie A club confirmed on Sunday. The honorary vice president and former captain for Milan underwent a routine medical check which revealed the issue and will undergo oncological recovery therapy with immunotherapy. "Dear fans, I just want to let you know that it will take me a little time to get back to full strength," Baresi said in a statement. The 65-year-old Baresi is regarded as an icon at San Siro, having spent his entire 20-year career with the club and captaining the team for 15 seasons before retiring in 1997. He was part of the Italy squad that won the 1982 World Cup and captained the team to the 1994 final, which ended in a narrow penalty shootout loss to Brazil. REUTERS
Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Straits Times
Egypt's state-affiliated TV says two fuel trucks set to enter Gaza
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox CAIRO - Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said on Sunday that two fuel trucks carrying 107 tons of diesel were set to enter Gaza, months after Israel restricted the entry of goods and aid into the Palestinian enclave. Gaza's health ministry has said fuel shortages were hindering the operation of hospitals, adding that doctors had to prioritise services at some of their facilities. There was no immediate confirmation whether the trucks had entered Gaza. Fuel entry has been rare since March, when Israel restricted the flow of aid and goods into the enclave in what it said was pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages it took in its October 2023 assault on Israel. Dozens have died of malnutrition in Gaza in recent weeks, according to Gaza's health ministry. It said on Saturday that it had recorded seven more fatalities, including a child, since Friday. Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza and says it is taking steps for more aid to reach its population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. U.N. agencies have said that airdrops of food are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and quickly ease the access to it. COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, said 35 trucks have entered Gaza since June, nearly all of them in July. More than 700 trucks of fuel entered the enclave in January and February during the ceasefire, before Israel resumed its major offensive in March. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive. REUTERS
Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Straits Times
More livestock in Japan undergo online medical exams due to veterinarian shortage
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Farm owner Norihiko Kobayashi points a tablet's camera toward his cow based on instructions from a veterinarian, in Ebetsu, Hokkaido. SAPPORO – Online medical examinations for livestock are becoming more common, particularly in Hokkaido, and part of the reason is due to a shortage of large animal veterinarians. As veterinarians in Hokkaido sometimes need to travel hundreds of kilometers a day, online medical exams are expected to decrease their burden and help them treat animals more quickly. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry is promoting online exams for livestock, aiming to develop a system in which farmers on remote islands and other areas that are not easily accessible can get help for their animals. In June, the press was invited to see how an online medical exam was conducted at a dairy farm in Ebetsu, Hokkaido. The farm keeps nearly 650 dairy cows and other animals. By looking at his tablet, veterinarian Shota Tominaga was able to conduct a visual examination of a cow. 'She probably has hypocalcemia after giving birth,' he said, and gave instructions on how medicine should be administered. 'I'll give her the medicine soon,' said farm owner Norihiko Kobayashi, while speaking to Mr Tominaga through the tablet. The online system, developed by Tokyo-based SB Technology Corp, allows farmers to book appointments for their animals, either through the program or via the Line messaging app. During the exam, they can speak to the veterinarian via their smartphone or tablet, and medical records are stored on cloud services. According to the Nosai Hokkaido agricultural mutual aid association, the system is being used by 71 veterinary clinics in the region. Between June 2 024 and May, the system was used to conduct about 330 medical exams on cows and horses. The online system has enabled veterinarians to examine animals more efficiently in Hokkaido, where farms are far apart. The system also means fewer people visit the farms, reducing the risk of spreading infectious diseases among animals. The agriculture ministry hopes the system will also help shorten exam time and reduce costs. Mr Tominaga says he sometimes visits up to 10 farmers a day. 'Most of my working hours are spent driving,' he said. 'As (the system) reduces travel time, I think I'll be able to treat illnesses more quickly.' Nosai Hokkaido aims to develop a system, based on medical records, by the end of this fiscal year in which medicines that will likely be necessary will be distributed in advance so farmers can administer them as soon as veterinarians tell them to do so. This means farmers will have to have the necessary telecommunication equipment, acquire skills and learn how to administer medicines. 'I believe online exams will be conducted more and more,' said Mr Shigeru Nakao, 60, chief of Nosai Hokkaido's livestock department. The system has also been introduced by Nosai Okinawa, a similar mutual aid association in Okinawa Prefecture, as well as some animal clinics in the Kyushu and Tohoku regions. According to the ministry, of the 40,455 people who had veterinary licenses as of 2022, about 40 per cent worked at animal hospitals for pets. In contrast, only 4,460 veterinarians worked with livestock, meaning there is a shortage of large animal veterinarians. Nosai associations provide mutual aid programs that cover medical costs for livestock owned by member farmers. To promote online medical exams, the ministry had these exams be covered by the programs starting in fiscal 2023. THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
