Study: HPV Linked to Skin Cancer

A recently published study suggests that human papillomavirus (HPV) is linked to a higher risk of a common type of skin cancer.

HPV has already been conclusively linked to cervical, vaginal and throat cancers, but experts warn this recent study does not definitively prove that HPV can cause squamous cell carcinoma, the second most commonly diagnosed form of skin cancer mentioned in the study. More research on the potential link is needed, according to several doctors and scientists.

Previous studies, however, have shown that patients who take immunosuppressive drugs as a result of organ transplants are more likely to develop skin cancer if they also carry HPV.

In this most recent study of nearly 2,400 white adults, testing positive for eight of the 100-plus forms of HPV increased the chances of skin cancer by slightly more than 70 percent. People infected with just two or three types of HPV were 44 percent more likely to have skin cancer than those who are HPV-negative.

Experts say that an extremely high proportion of the adult population is infected with at least one form of HPV. A few types of HPV, particularly those related to cervical cancer, can be prevented by recently developed vaccines, but people who have been vaccinated are not necessarily protected from skin cancer.

No matter what future research may show, every member of the medical and scientific community will be quick to point out that prolonged exposure to sunlight is the main cause of any form of skin cancer.