Dr. D'Souza on Screening for HPV-Related Cancers

Gypsyamber D'Souza, PhD, MPH, MS, an associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University, comments on screening for HPV-related cancers.

Currently, there is no good method for oral cancer screening for HPV-related cancers. Dentists conduct a visual exam of the oral cavity, which can detect the type of pre-malignancies that are related to tobacco.

HPV-related cancers occur in the oral pharynx in the back of the throat, D'Souza says, which is not visually accessible. Current visual exams are not good, and are usually detected at a very late stage.